Dead Man’s Bones
October 17, 2009
Sixth and I Street Synagogue, Washington, DC
Reviewed by Megan Robinson

It was a dark and stormy night… And as bitterly cold and wet as it was, really, how else would one prepare for a performance by Dead Man’s Bones, the musical endeavor of actors Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields?

Zombies, and ghosts, and werewolves, oh my! I’ve never been to the Sixth and I Street Synagogue for a show or otherwise, so the venue itself provided an element of wonder. The backdrop to the stage was painted to resemble an old cemetery with crazy-canted headstones, and what looked like the Shrieking Shack (Where’s Professor Lupin? Here’s his chance to mingle openly!). Lighting arrangements ranged from blood-red to washed-out blue, and frequently, pitch black leavened by some twinklers now and again.

Our master of ceremonies came out in a large white sheet with eye/mouth cut-outs, not to mention a matching white cowboy hat. It’s a good thing that wasn’t Ryan Gosling under there, or there would have been a lot of extremely ticked-off girls. The MC provided some guitar/vocal solos, along with introductions to local DC performers: a hypnotist, belly dancers, and a magician specializing in card tricks. Unexpected? Hokey? Madcap and slapdash? Yes, yes, double time yes!

As Gosling and Shields came on stage and began the show, figures in hooded white robes slowly walked down the aisles, gathering on the floor below the stages. The lights dimmed, the black light came on, and another robed figure with skeletal bones on the front and back began leading the choir with long bony fingers. Eerie doesn’t begin to cover it. Dead Man’s Bones trots out every trope of the Halloween/macabre/horror genre, yet infuses these skeletons and strange tales with a playfulness, wistfulness, and soulfulness that moves beyond mere gimmickry.

Part of their tour involves recruiting local talent to open and support their show, so, while the album has a children’s choir, the DC performance had a local gospel choir, who apparently had learned at least five of the songs just before they performed that night. While this would seem to be a cause for headaches, with Dead Man’s Bones, it adds a vitality and immediacy to the performance and experience; who knows what’ll happen?

Indeed, the word that came to mind throughout the show was generosity. Gosling and Shields are well aware that they are amateurs (in the best sense of the word), and frequently step back to highlight the choir or other soloists, giving others space to (literally) play. Several times, the skeletal conductor started bouncing up and down during the songs; we should always have such happy bones! Probably because they are still in the early days of the tour, some of the transitions and technicalities are not as smooth, but again, there’s a light-heartedness and joyfulness that erases any ‘complaints’. Both Gosling and Shields, on-stage and in their promo videos, have the look and attitude of little kids gleefully perpetrating dime-store pranks. It’s not about the fame, here; it’s about the fun.

Dead Man’s Bones performed most of the songs from their self-titled album; as I was greatly disappointed that “Name in Stone” wasn’t included on the album, I was gratified by the loud request from an audience member for it, which DMB performed quite wonderfully. Shields has a light, smooth voice that does well in supporting vocals and the occasional solo, while Gosling’s deep baritone is a surprise that harkens back to older crooners, like Johnny Cash. Quite honestly, his vocals carry the album and the show.

A couple of additional songs that I don’t think are released anywhere also made an appearance, including an impassioned, melancholy blues piece, for which I don’t have the title but am calling “Something is Watching (Beyond the Veil)”. As with most rhythms of a live show, it opened light and playful, and by the time Gosling started singing this song, the mood was intimate and somewhat reflective, reinforced by Gosling’s raspy, powerful voice calling up some ancient pain out of the uncanniness that dances around the periphery of our vision.

I’m always torn between taking photos/videos at these things, and just leaving the recording equipment under the chair – on the one hand, you want some proof of the experience. On the other, there’s something incredibly powerful about experiencing the moment with all your being, immersing yourself in, and savoring, the story being told for those two hours. Will I ever get to see Dead Man’s Bones again? Who knows? I hope another opportunity comes along, in a couple of years. I think Gosling and Shields have the potential to continue doing really creative things, if they challenge themselves and figure out the next level for their ideas and skills. But at this moment, they are having a lot of fun, taking us along for the madcap ride…and I loved every second of it.

Dead Man’s Bones on tour till the end of October: http://www.deadmansbones.net/

 
Posted in Music by Megan

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