Live Review: Grizzly Bear at Berklee

Grizzly Bear played live at Berklee Performance Center last Wednesday, and Bostonist was on hand to catch the action. It's taken us this long to recover from the greatness that was a quartet featuring beautiful voices in harmony eerily lit on a halfdark stage.

Openers Here We Go Magic created trippy hippie rhythms interspersed with awkward galloping beats and fuzzy feedback. It was a fun set of Yeasayer-esque jams that gently set the stage for an epic Grizzly Bear show.

The quartet began the set lit by a creepy "In the year 2000" type glow, but quickly warmed up the quirky light with warm vocal harmonies. Subtle lullaby-like riffs were interrupted with sudden blasts into melodic changes as the band shifted through all of its impressively varied yet cohesive tunes. The collective harmonies were almost reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, but much fiercer and used to greater effect. Grizzly Bear attacked everything from honky tonk railroad rhythms to spaced-out choir sounds, always with remarkable precision and texture. Even as songs built up to and cooled down from dramatic crescendos, the band members remained focused and tight. The show was a testament to Grizzly Bear's musical virtuosity and ability to engage audiences on a personal level. Definitely check this band out if you've never seen 'em before.