To exit a Diarrhea Planet show you have to wade through a wasteland of personal effects. Keys, glasses, cell phones and shoes are the small sacrifices “Planeteers” give to see Diarrhea Planet rage. People jump on stage, stop for brief sessions with Evan Bird or Jordan Smith and then dive back into the crowd (often clearing the first six rows of people).
Diarrhea Planet
DP
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DP
A mythos built on the machinations of four guitarists has developed around DP’s live performances. Jordan Smith hits the power chords while deep in a lunge. Evan Bird plays the guitar behind his head when trying an array of faces on the crowd. Guitarists, Brent Toler and Emmett Miller are mobbed each time they lean into the front row. Bassist Mike Boyle stirs the pot on stage by bouncing into his other bandmates. And if you’re looking for drummer Ian Bush, he’s hiding behind a mix of hair and sweat.
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DP opened the Brooklyn Bowl set with “Lite Dream,” which according to Smith, is a “heavy metal song about growing into being your own band.” The sextet thrashed and posed through the entire performance. At times, their playing was so intense that you couldn’t hear the vocals. After exiting with “Emmett’s Vision,” DP came back on stage for an encore performance of “Headband.”
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The Nashville band was conceived when the members met at Belmont University in 2009. Since then, they have gained increased recognition (e.g. playing on Late Night with Seth Meyers) and garnered a strong following. Their third album, Turn to Gold, is pure garage rock, though slightly clearer than their last album, I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. But the recordings really don’t do the band justice. Just be prepared to leave the show bruised (and maybe a little bloody).
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DP
Article: Alx Bear
