Tamaryn: Live At The Garrison

Before I got to The Garrison last Saturday to see Tamaryn, along with their Bay Area contemporaries Young Prisms, I thought the relatively small venue would be jam packed. After all, Tamaryn had just released their buzzworthy great new album Tender New Signs. Surprisingly, when I walked in the door The Garrison was very quiet with only a few people sitting around talking or reading books.

The venue did fill up after a a solid set from newish shoegaze band Young Prisms. Young Prisms songs feature the dreamy vocals of singer Ashley Thomas complemented by the hypnotic drone of guitarist Matt Allen.  These guys are very similar to Tamaryn and provided the perfect opening. They played a tight 30 minute set with songs mostly from their 2012 album, In Between.

Singer Tamaryn must be very meticulous about her shows. Before Young Prisms set, she was seen adjusting the spotlight and assisting the sound guy behind the mixing board. When the band did come out, the only lighting was that aforementioned spotlight, otherwise the stage was very dark. This provided the perfect setting for the bleach blonde singer Tamaryn. The goth looking singer was wearing a a very short black blouse (as some of us in the front row found out, it was little too short), and bright red lipstick.

The band started the night with my favourite Tamaryn single, Mild Confusion, from their 2010 album The Waves. The dream pop classic flowed hypnotically into the small space leaving the audience in a hazy trance. Unfortunately, from where I was standing, I could not here Tamaryn's vocals.

The sound did improve for the rest of the group's short set which featured songs from Tender New Signs. The band distanced themselves from the crowd and from each other, as they seem to play with an intensity that is very much in their own world. Song highlights included The Garden, Heavenly Bodies and I'm Gone which featured Tamaryn singly mostly with her eyes closed. When she did open her eyes it was an icy stare far into the back of the venue. These guys sure do have the coolness of the dream pop aesthetic down pat.

The band went back to The Waves album for their encore and the beautiful track of the same name. The song is one of the band's more fitting, as it provides an aural blast of wavy guitars. Unfortunately that was the only song of the encore. The group waved and beat a hasty retreat into the night.