by Mike Lisching
There was a bit of symmetry to Dana and Alden’s return to The Independent in San Francisco on September 22. The show came three years and one day after their first tour brought them to the same stage, making the return something of an anniversary for brothers Dana and Alden McWayne.
In the three years since, the brothers have continued to develop their wonderfully hard-to-categorize sound. With Dana on saxophone and Alden behind the drums at the center of it all, their music has an easygoing, playful quality while leaving plenty of room for improvisation and exploration.
The evening’s set reflected that evolution, drawing from different points in the brothers’ catalog rather than focusing on a single era. Early selections included “Stanley” and “Coyote, You’re My Star” while “Napa 86” represented more recent material. Near the middle of the set came “July 98,” the opening track from their first album, “Quiet Music for Young People”. On a night that fell almost exactly three years after their first appearance at The Independent, revisiting a song from the very beginning of their recorded catalog provided another fitting connection to where they started.
Supporting the brothers was a band from all over the world: Salim Charvet on alto saxophone, flute, and synths, Andrew Mitchell on bass, and Ebba Dankel on keyboards and vocals. The band also invited vocalist Ania Hoo, who had opened the evening of music, back to the stage to perform Summer Nights.
Freedom is a big part of what makes Dana and Alden engaging live. There’s humor and an almost homemade warmth to their songs, potentially exhibited most in their track “Trader Joe’s”. But underneath their songwriting is serious musicianship and a jazz foundation that allows the music to change direction and breathe. Rather than treating jazz, indie rock, funk and psychedelia as separate territories, the brothers seem most comfortable somewhere in between them.
After playing Felton Music Hall on September 23, the brothers head south to LA, San Diego, and Phoenix on consecutive nights starting September 25. Get your tickets now!
