REVIEW AND IMAGES BY IAN HRABE
The Donkeys are so good it makes me sick. I mean, not really sick, but sick that a band can be so fucking good every time I see them. Sunday night at the Replay was the fourth time I've seen San Diego's the Donkeys and, like every other show I've ever seen them play, it was excellent.
I first saw the band two summers ago opening for Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, where the Donkeys earned the title (in my head) of Best Opening Band of All Time. They were a band I'd never heard before and yet was completely captivated by. I told them all of this after the show, and they were the nicest dudes ever. They seemed like guys who genuinely loved what they did without the jaded glare you get from a lot of touring musicians. I saw them last March at SXSW and they were still just as nice as they were before and spoke nothing but praises for our little cultural oasis in the middle of Kansas.
They're not hard to love, either. I think I told a friend of mine told me this after they'd played their staple (and maybe best song) Sunday night, "Come on Virginia." It's not that they're safe or trying to appeal to the masses, it's just that their laid-back So-Cal pop songs would make you feel like a dick if you tried to talk shit on them.
They've really backed themselves into an excellent corner, coming off as pleasant dudes you could meet anywhere, but their songs have a classic vibe to them. "Be My Girl," for instance, had the couples in the crowd dancing cheek to cheek, complete with twirls. I don't think I've ever seen a dude twirl a girl at the Replay ever. I didn't even know it was possible.
Trying to figure out why I think the Donkeys are so special has proved to be kind of futile. Musically, they're not really doing anything new, but the attitude behind it makes for a band that I will go out of my way to see anytime they come to the area. The tunes are full of Neil Young-inspired melodies and timbres and Band-esque harmonies, replete with some surprisingly excellent guitar solos and a chiming Rhodes piano (which adds a certain dreaminess to the music). Somehow, it all combined to create an atmosphere at the Replay that caused people to get involved and, gasp, dance. It was bizarre.
During the second-to-last song, the Donkeys requested that everyone in the venue get as close to the stage as possible, eventually asking the audience to get on the stage, which quickly became littered with drunk girls and shaved-head dudes.
It all seemed very organic, as if it were natural for the audience to dance on stage two inches from the guitarist as he busted out riffs. After the Donkeys jammed out their last song (the long, but surprisingly badass instrumental "Lower the Heavens") all of the dudes in the band were shaking hands, hugging, and having conversations with the audience members on stage. Essentially, the Donkeys might be the most lovable band in indie rock.
MP3: The Donkeys, "Walk Through a Cloud"
MP3: The Donkeys, "Nice Train"
Both songs from Living on the Other Side (Dead Oceans)
Suzannah Johannes proved to be a formidable opener despite my expectations. I hadn't seen her play solo acoustic since she won KJHK's Farmer's Ball in 2007, and though she sounds just fine with a full band, it tends to get a little boring. Solo, though, is where she really shines. Her voice has echoes of Vashti Bunyan and has enough warmth to fill up a room. It also helps that she pulled off a cover of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" without pulling the clichéd "Michael Jackson died so I'm going to cover him" card. Someone tried to talk to me during that cover, and I literally told them to shut up. The cover was gorgeous and proved that any pop hit that's worth anything will sound fucking amazing if you play it solo on an acoustic guitar.
Anyway, if you missed the Donkeys show, don't worry. They seem to have an affinity for Lawrence, given that they often spoke between songs about how much they love our little town. Still, you missed a damn fine show from the best band you've never heard and one of the few bands you could randomly walk in on in a bar while grabbing a beer and stick around long enough to become a fan.
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