After hearing again and again about this band I felt it was time to get myself to a performance. I was surprised by quite a few things--the first being the solid fan base Deer Tick has apparently amassed. During their performance of Ashamed they were joined by a the best tipsy-audience choir I've heard in a long time. For those of you who haven't heard War Elephant, Ashamed is the catchy opener.

The album's rerelease was also the reason for the show. McCauley's raspy voice (plus Ryan's harmony) and occasional heartfelt lead guitar took center stage, and it was easier to see why Deer Tick is prescribed less as alt country and more as plain rock. Gone were many of the string accompaniments, and between inviting friends and fans on stage and closing with La Bomba, McCauley and crew were obviously out to enjoy themselves more than anything.

Though it was a bit of a trip for me, I had a great time. Deer Tick's music isn't pushing for complexity, but it's well put togehter and hard not to like. Southpaw too made me even more jealous of Park Slopers. Despite having the door right between the stage and bar, it had a kick-ass basement and was big enough to fit the crowd (100+) that came to the show.

Deer Tick