The show almost didn’t happen. As I walked up to the Church on York – literally the church on the corner of Avenue 49 and York Blvd. in Highland Park – Josh Puklavetz, bassist for White Fence, stood outside on the grass, looking pretty stressed the fuck out. The sound wasn’t working. None of it was. Puklavetz compared his anxiety over the potentially cancelled show to the anticipation of an imminent car accident. But within ten minutes of casual dawdling outside the church, like a lazy Sunday after mass, except at night, White Fence took to the stage, bathed in magenta lights, in the old Church now appropriated by the musically minded hipsters of yet another gentrified Los Angeles neighborhood. Which I guess I’m okay with.

White Fence performed as their most steady cast of characters – Tim Presley, founding member and lead guitarist / vocalist; keyboardist / guitarist Jack Name, also known as John Webster Johns; Puklavetz, of Jail Weddings; and drummer Nick Murray, who may or may not have a super special project lined up with John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees. As a foursome, White Fence was tight, connected. Murray wailed on the drums like none other, resembling Animal beneath his mop of hair. Presley mostly performed with his side to the audience, focused on the many pedals he puts to use with his instrumentation. His only address to the audience was to wish someone’s grandfather a happy birthday. Jack Name stood on the side, honing the sound with steady accuracy. Only Puklavetz stood ahead, face to the crowd, his anxiety all but gone.

Presley opened the set with “Paranoid Bait,” an unreleased track off his forthcoming album – produced by Ty Segall – on Drag City, due out July 22^nd of this year. The band ran through the next three songs without taking a pause for applause. And then came “Baxter Corner,” the mostly instrumental smorgasbord of sound jam that truly showcases White Fence’s musicianship. The show ended with “Pink Gorilla,” off Cyclops Reap (Castleface). The album version of this song simply doesn’t do it justice. Performed live, the band takes everything up beyond 11, out into an acid space odyssey, especially Murray’s cymbal smashing technique, maybe my favorite part of the entire night. 

Set List:

Paranoid Bait

White Cat

Love Between

Anger (Keeps You Under)

Lillian

Baxter Corner

Tildas

Sticky Fruitman (Has Faith)

It’s Confusing When You Wake Up

Get That Heart

Pink Gorilla