Thursday, October 16, 2008

Fleet Foxes missed its last headlining show in Salt Lake City because of van problems, but was well-received when it opened for Wilco at Red Butte in August. The unique rock band performs Neil Young-style folk influenced by the Beach Boys - and Gregorian chant choirs.

When: Tonight at 7 p.m.
Where: In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City
Tickets: $14 at SmithsTix and 24Tix
Opening act: Frank Fairfield

Even the musicians in Fleet Foxes were staggered to be opening for Wilco at Red Butte Garden this past summer. "Everything is unbelievable," said Robin Pecknold, the band's frontman. Band members express their disbelief on their MySpace site, which includes such comments as: "How did we get here, seriously, what is going on," "Shock, disbelief," "Still flabbergasted," and "WTF?????"

In the know Utah music fans might be just as excited to see the opening band as the alt-country heroes Wilco, since the Fleet Foxes had to cancel a July show at Kilby Court at the last minute.

"Our fan belt broke [near Denver]," Pecknold explains. "The water pump, too. And the radiator."

Since the June release of the Fleet Foxes first album, music critics have dubbed them the "It" band of the moment, ending the reign of Vampire Weekend.

Like Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes sound like nobody else. Pecknold describes their music as "baroque harmonic pop" songs, which only begins to hint at their originality. All band members offer vocals, singing five-part harmonies that soar above the spare, acoustic folk background, reminiscent of the best tunes from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. "I grew up listening to a lot of '60s folk music and musicals," Pecknold said, name-checking Joni Mitchell and Beach Boys. "I mean, who hasn't?"

There's a haunting immediacy to the album's 11 songs, which seem to draw upon influences from other eras as well. Say, like the 16th century, thanks to pastoral-sounding song titles such as "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" and "White Winter Hymnal," and the cover art of a 1559 painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Pecknold said the band will attempt to recreate the atmospheric sounds of the album in their live show. "Making the record, we weren't trying to fill it with 100 things we couldn't do live," he said.