DAVID BAZAN
TEXT: Lydia Sprague ||| PHOTO: Lyle Owerko ||| LABEL: Barsuk
Whenever David Bazan’s name pops up on the schedule for a festival I make sure to make his performance a priority. Why is that? Because, although I have seen him play dozens of times over the years, each performance is new and refreshing from this seasoned artist whose soulful self-examining lyrics speak more about a broken and disillusioned generation than about the man himself.
“I clung to miracles I have not seen/from ancient autographs I cannot read/and though I’ve repented/I’m still tempted, I admit/But it’s not what bearing witness is,” from “Bearing Witness” a track on his solo full-length, Curse Your Branches.
When Bazan takes the stage his set-up is generally quite underwhelming. Usually consisting of just himself and an acoustic guitar, sometimes with backup musicians, the man fills the stage quite easily, however. He also attracts a packed crowd.
Bazan is something of a legend in the Seattle music scene, joining the ranks of Sean Nelson, Ben Gibbard and Damien Jurado in Seattle’s musical all-stars. He was the front man for Seattle’s famed Pedro the Lion until its demise in 2005. He and Pedro band mate TW Walsh began producing and performing together under the moniker Headphones. Bazan now plays and tours solo. In June of 2009 he formed a new backing band to perform live shows with him. The band consisted of members of Seattle area bands including Say Hi and Aqueduct.
“Bazan began struggling with his faith as he experienced the politics of the inner workings of a church from the inside.”
Over the years Bazan has collaborated and played shows with many prominent members of Seattle’s music scene, including members of Death Cab for Cutie, Fleet Foxes, and Crystal Skulls.
Bazan’s life story is one well known by his listeners, as his songs are introspective looks into his life and faith, as well as his political views. A prominent part of Bazan’s life has been his struggle with faith in God, his struggles with the Christian church, and the self doubt that came along with his questioning.
Bazan was raised in a Christian home; his father was a music pastor and as a result his family was invested in the church. He grew up in Shoreline, Washington, where his father worked in an Evangelical church. Bazan began struggling with his faith as he experienced the politics of the inner workings of a church from the inside. He contributes his initial concerns and questioning of the church to the right-wing conservative movement.
Pedro the Lion was started by Bazan while he was attending Northwest College in Kirkland, Washington—A Christian bible college. The band started out playing in churches, and at local Christian events.
The band lasted from 1995-2005; releasing four full-length albums and five EPs and touring extensively. As Bazan grew older, he began to question his faith. His music grew with him. Pedro’s 2002 release Control had a theme of infidelity, including a song depicting an adulterous sexual encounter entitled “Rapture,” which undoubtedly shocked the band’s Christian fan base. Lyrics from the song: “Gideon is in the drawer/Clothes scattered on the floor/She's arching her back/She screams for more/Oh, my sweet rapture/I hear Jesus/Calling me home.”
The album’s final track is a short one titled “Rejoice.” Its only lyrics are, “Wouldn't it be so wonderful if everything were meaningless/But everything is so meaningful/And most everything turns to shit/Rejoice.”
Bazan reached his pinnacle of Christian backlash when in 2005 he was kicked out of the Cornerstone Music Festival—an annual Christian music festival in Illinois—for getting trashed and stumbling around the festival grounds with a milk jug full of vodka.
“Bazan’s onstage presence is as revealing of his view of himself in his introspective lyrics. He seems insecure—always questioning the audience’s desire to watch him perform.”
Shortly after Bazan decided to take a break from Pedro the Lion and focus on a new effort: Headphones. This project was indie pop, heavy on the synthesizers. Walsh contributed on drums, but left the project for personal reasons. The band was basically a solo endeavor for Bazan, who played a host of instruments on the album, and usually performed alone with his keyboard, sometimes with a drummer.
The project produced one full-length album and a couple of international tours. Pedro the Lion was officially defunct and soon after Bazan began playing solo simply as “David Bazan.”
In September of 2009 Bazan released Curse Your Branches on Barsuk. He toured in support of the album in October of 2009—touring with a full band for the first time in four years.
The album centers around a theme of questioning faith, and finding identify for himself outside of Christianity. Critics have labeled the record as a breakup album, although the dumped lover in this case is God.
“I need no other memory/of the bits of me I left/When all this lethal drinking/Is to hopefully forget about you,” from “In Stitches.”
Bazan’s onstage presence is as revealing of his view of himself in his introspective lyrics. He seems insecure—always questioning the audience’s desire to watch him perform. During his 2008 Sasquatch performance he repeatedly commented on how, if he were in the audience, he’d much rather be watching the New Pornographers, who were playing at the same time as him on the main stage. He also has a tendency to tell weird jokes, during one Bumbershoot performance he commented on his routine of putting a sock in his pants before performances because he knew people were checking out his package. And once he held a dirty joke contest from the stage between songs, encouraging audience members to yell out the dirtiest joke they knew.
It will be interesting to see Bazan play now that he seems to have gotten himself together, and has a new security with himself and his identity aside from Christianity. He is set to play Bumbershoot at 4 p.m. on Sunday on the Broad Street Stage.
PRESS
“The whole thing plays out more like a therapy session than a breakup. I picture Bazan reclining on a couch, flipping through the Bible and pointing out parts that don’t add up, explaining why he feels betrayed and saying to God, “You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you?”
Lyrics have always been the focal point of Bazan’s music, and here they carry a vast majority of the weight. Every word is crystal clear, and he sings slowly, as if to say, “Make no mistake.” A languid pedal steel provides a steady backdrop; the tambourines and bells are perfectly restrained. Some songs are catchy, others are pretty, and though every instrument is masterfully played, nothing here is really innovative—Bazan avoids unexpected flourishes, saving all the drama for his lyrics. Not a departure from his Pedro The Lion work, the music creates order in the court so Bazan can make his case.” — Paste Magazine
“The disc also confronts Bazan’s descent into serious drinking, with nods to the personal pain he’s caused his wife and child. It’s heavy stuff, to be sure, but Bazan is such an astute chronicler of his own emotions—no matter how ugly—that even his darkest moments ironically offer serious inspiration. Like the subject matter itself, he’s a rarity.” —The A.V. Club
TOUR
September 05, 2010 • Seattle, Washington • Bumbershoot
September 09, 2010 • Portland, Oregon • Doug Fir Lounce
September 10, 2010 • Boise, Idaho • Neurolux
September 11, 2010 • Salt Lake City, Utah • Urban Lounge
September 12, 2010 • Denver, Colorado • Larimer Lounce
September 14, 2010 • Omaha, Nebraska • The Waiting Room
September 16, 2010 • Chicago, Illinois • Lincoln Hall
September 17, 2010 • Detroit, Michigan • Magic Stick
September 18, 2010 • Toronto, Ontario • Lee's Palace
September 19, 2010 • Montréal, Quebec • Il Motore
September 21, 2010 • Burlington, Vermont • Club Metronome
September 22, 2010 •Cambridge, Massachusetts • TT The Bear's Place
September 24, 2010 • Brooklyn, New York • Brooklyn Bowl
September 25, 2010 • Washington, DC • Black Cat
September 26, 2010 • Charlottesville, Virginia • The Southern
September 27, 2010 • Carrboro, North Carolina • Cat's Cradle
September 28, 2010 • Atlanta, Georgia • The Earl
October 01, 2010 • Jacksonville, Florida • Jack Rabbits
October 02, 2010 • Orlando, Florida • The Social
October 03, 2010 • Tallahassee, Florida • The Engine Room
October 05, 2010 • Birmingham, Alabama • The Bottletree
October 06, 2010 • New Orleans, Louisiana • One Eyed Jacks
October 09, 2010 • Austin, Texas • Austin City Limits Festival
October 11, 2010 • Lubbock, Texas • The Foundation
October 12, 2010 • Albuquerque, New Mexico • Launchpad
October 13, 2010 • Tucson, Arizona • Club Congress
October 15, 2010 • Los Angeles, California • Spaceland
October 16, 2010 • San Diego, California • Casbah
October 17, 2010 • San Luis Obispo, California • Downtown Brewing Co.
October 18, 2010 • San Francisco, California • The Independent
LINKS
+ David Bazan official website
+ David Bazan on Facebook
+ David Bazan on Myspace
MP3s
“Bless This Mess”
David Bazan - Bearing Witness - 9 of 11 from RaisingHeller on Vimeo.
