1. 1 Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
2. Psalms 40:2 “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
3. Genesis 3:23 “Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”
4. Philippians 3:20-21 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
5. Hebrews 11:40 “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
6. Genesis 30:3 “ And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.”
7. Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
8. 1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
9. Matthew 25:21 “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
10. Deuteronomy 2:10 “The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims;”
11. Isaiah 45:23 “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”
12. Ezekiel 7

Well, the record was made, and Pitchfork is reporting that all remaining copies of the album will be sold at Vanderslice solo shows (there’s a relatively newly announced one at Local 506 June 17), through Beggar’s Group and at Chaz’s Bull City Records. Since tomorrow is Record Store Day, why not support one of Durham’s finest musicians at its best record shop?

John Darnielle. Courtesy The Varsity.

Part of me thinks John Darnielle is a really complex guy and part of me thinks he should be pretty easy to read. I’m not really sure if either is true, but I’m pretty sure there’s no one else like him, and his show at the Duke Coffeehouse last night certainly proved that point.

Darnielle played a lengthy set that included newer, older and never-before-heard songs to a capacity crowd at the Coffeehouse. Per usual, the show was interspersed with banter from the songwriter, much of it mocking his older material and highlighting his eccentricities as a person.

 2005’s The Sunset Tree was perhaps the best represented album of the night. It’s no coincidence then that Darnielle’s childhood and domestic violence were big subjects of the night. He introduced “Dance Music” by saying, “I’m a lot happier now than when I was a child. Here’s a song about that.” But his meditations on the subject were meaningful, adding meaning and depth to the songs. 

Perhaps what’s most remarkable about Darnielle live is his energy. As much as he is a singer/songwriter (a prolific one at that), he pours himself into each song, filling them with emotion. His stories and characters are more alive than ever. For just a guy with a guitar playing some songs that are sometimes really simple chords, he crafts an incredibly engaging.

Opener John Vanderslice, whose own set was quite the treat, joined Darnielle for the end of his set. The two recorded an EP for the tour. Although the EP was not available for sale, they played some of the tracks. Darnielle described the EP as being about zombies on the moon, and the songs fit the bill. Definitely enjoyable, they did not hold a candle to the end of the set which closed with “The Best Ever Death Metal Band from Denton.” Seeing the two Johns side-by-side only made Darnielle’s physical energy more pronounced as Vanderslice (or JV, as the other John called him) was much more restrained in his movements. (Vanderslice kind of reminded me of Kermit the Frog on stage. I mean that in a good way–Kermit is one of my favorite Muppets)

The encore was short and sweet with a bit of theology from Darnielle. But it capped off one of the Coffeehouse’s best shows of the semester. And it made anyone in Durham proud that John Darnielle calls the Bull City home.