Dan Deacon, for those who don't know, is an electronic musician and composer from Maryland. I did not know who Dan Deacon was, but after last night's show I am diehard fan. I was in my tent when I heard a sound so groovy I had to put on pants (a huge sacrifice, as everyone knows) and wander over to Bass Camp. There he was, evangelical, a soundsmith serving up his digital sermon to the world.He shouted, he implored, he pleaded for peace and love. Anyone else, I would roll my eyes at. But doing it, Dan Deacon seemed so sincere I couldn't fault him for it. During his set, Deacon had everyone put their hands on the head of a complete stranger. He told the audience to visualize the faces of the person or people that they loved the most. Then, instructing the audience to apply intensifying pressure to the head of the person in front of them. he had the audience visualize what they felt most guilty about. Then, he told everyone to release, to put their hands in the air and dance their freedom. The crowd loved it, screaming his name and waving their limbs every which way like raving giraffes. needless to say, the music was incredible, and the light arrangement intense. At the end of his set, Dan Deacon graciously turned the applause to the crew, volunteers and staff of the festival, thanking them for his job. He then left his board, and came down to the floor, speaking with every fan who stayed behind, chatting about their lives and thanking them for enjoying his music. He even gave little old CFUR a station ID. It cannot be emphasized enough how kind, humble, and appreciative Dan Deacon was. Come for the pulsating bass, stay for the great guy who makes it.
