Despite a horrendously rainy evening, I made the trek up to Philadelphia to see two of my absolute favorite extant artists (Wye Oak and Shearwater) play impressive sets at Johnny Brenda’s. Though a bit oddly shaped, and accordingly awkward for sound, the venue is an absolute charmer. It feels like a back-room, private cabaret with some insane lighting rigs and luxuriously appointed design elements such as buttoned red velvet cushions on the walls. The venue shoots upwards two stories, but is shallow and intimate, making sure you are never more than 10 rows from the stage (which is well-elevated for a venue this size, giving everyone good sightlines).

This being the umpteenth time I’ve seen Wye Oak perform live, it’s a given that their set will be enjoyable. But I will say they still get tighter and more confident after each tour. They have moved beyond precocious to truly mature performers, their stage presence steadily gaining steam and transitioning from charmingly coy to absolutely commanding. The other unique thing about this show was that, not since early 2009 (right before The Knot dropped) have I heard them play so much new/recently released material. The set, while still finding room for old faves like “Family Glue,” and more recent ones like “For Prayer” and “Mary is Mary,” was heavy with material from the still-digital EP My Neighbor/My Creator, and even fresher tracks that are destined for what appears to be a fast-approaching new LP. From the sound of it, we can expect a lot more diversity of sounds than from their first two releases (in particular, some tracks that sounded more country and spare than anything before), and even more intense shredding from Jenn Wasner.

Shearwater has become a bit of a casualty of circumstance. Saddled with the baggage of Jonathan Meiburg’s former primary outlet Okkervil River (and its lead singer Will Sheff’s early contributions), it seems like everyone has failed to notice that they have emerged as vital as, if not moreso, their musical predecessor. It might surprise you to know that they have been at it for almost a decade now. In my opinion, they are certainly the more dynamic and versatile of the two outfits.

Shearwater roars as well as it whispers. Backed by a talented group of musicians, Meiburg’s compositions are immaculately textured live, glockenspiel, clarinet, trumpet, synths and electric stand-up bass adding untold layers atop the standard rock band outlay. In particular, percussionist Thor Harris hopping up to double on the glock or solo on the clarinet, then dropping back down to pound on the skins was an immense contribution. But the star of the show is undoubtedly Meiburg. His guitarwork was profoundly lyrical, and his stage presence was dynamic. For such a small space, he seemed to constantly be full of motion and energy.

The clincher was his vocals: magnetic and hypnotic, he effortlessly bounded octaves and courted dynamics from full-fledged shouts and bellows to achingly diminutive murmurs. An equally compelling baritone and falsetto, he is a treasure in music today. Though they can never be said to lack the melodramatic, something about their delivery, and in particular Meiburg’s impassioned performance, makes it feel oh-so-genuine. Their set was heavily culled from The Golden Archipelago, with a helping from Rook. A thunderous performance of “Rooks” proved to be a highlight, as well as a driving rendition of “Black Eyes.”

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