By the time The Dear Hunter took the stage at High Noon Saloon Sunday night, the near-capacity crowd was primed and ready.
Local DIY hero Brett Newski opened the show, one night after the release of his LP "The Worst of Brett Newski". Newski draws a loyal following to any Wisconsin show, and he played his 35-minute set as if it was for his closest friends. Alone on stage with his acoustic guitar (which he "should not have bought while living in Vietnam"), Newski established an effortless connection through his comical mixture of satirical and self-deprecating songs - often introduced with personal anecdotes such as finding out just how many "eskimo brothers" you have, and the downside of Vietnamese guitars. His new song "Bro Country" was particularly well-received by the demographic, skewering America's douchiest genre with such lines as "Johnny Cash is rolling in his grave/Wishing he was still alive so he could blow his brains away". Two of his later songs included audience participation - which only required a little bit of explanation and cohersion on Newski's part after expressing his sympathy, ("Yeah, I know this sucks..."). All were left won over by his down-to-earth aura of unabashed dorkiness.
On a tour in which they have primarily opened for Coheed and Cambria, The Dear Hunter reveled in the headlining opportunity. While the Rhode Island sextet was thrilled to perform a full set for a full crowd, they also admitted to having no idea what to talk about between songs. They eventually landed on Rick Sanchez impersonations and a brief analysis of their dreams from the previous night -which involved "endangered 'tiger-bear' cubs'" and only selling four tickets.
There were far more than four atendees however, and The Dear Hunter's nearly-operatic brand of indie rock kept every one of them engaged. The dirty guitar-rock of heavier songs such as "The Most Cursed of Hands" offset the more grandoise elements of their catalog, and every song was performed with the urgency for which they've become known. They did not perform an encore, deciding that "instead of going into a room for a few minutes and pretending (they were) gone, (they would) just play the rest of (their) songs" - a simple yet endearing touch that is very fitting of the band's aesthetic.
The Dear Hunter's tour continues tonight in St. Louis, while Brett Newski returns to his nomad lifestyle in Milwaukee.
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