Disq at Baby’s All Right (photo by Kevin McGann)
Madison, Wisconsin’s Disq made their way to Baby’s All Right last week in support of their sophomore album, Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet (Saddle Creek). And while I’m sure everyone in the room was happy to have two albums worth of material to draw from, it was a long wait for band and fans alike. After their debut album Collector was released, the world went into lockdown and abruptly ended their chance to promote it and connect with audiences.
With Baby’s small intimate setting, connecting with the audience would not be a problem last week as Disq played to a packed house. The group, led by founding members Isaac deBroux-Slone (vocals/guitar) and Raina Bock (bass/backing vocals), bring a playful intensity to their songs. Whether it’s the more 60’s guitar-strumming pop nugget “Prize Contest Life’” with its noise-rock attack ending, “Cujo Kiddies” with its upbeat electronic yet cool, casual, whatever approach, or the Weezer tinged “This Time,” they manage to marry all these diverse stylings into one that is truly their own.
Rounding out the band is Logan Severson (guitar/backing vocals), Shannon Connor (guitar/keys) and Brendan Manley (drums). Having three guitars and multiple people on vocals, all of whom contribute to the songwriting, helps expand their sound as evidenced on Desperately Imagining’s mix of styles. Yet the set’s closing tracks “Communication” and “Daily Routine” show there is a core sound that runs throughout their music, so it will be exciting to see how they continue to evolve and expand on future albums.
Disq live, summer 2022
Getting the crowd to a fever pitch before Disq took the stage was Toronto’s Ducks Ltd. with their brand of fun jangly alt-pop. Songs so catchy that in between verses, co-founder Tom McGreevy (vocals/rhythm guitar) was himself swaying to the beat and clearly having a great time. McGreevy and fellow Ducks co-founder Evan Lewis (guitar) have crafted a beautiful throwback 80’s sound without ever sounding dated as evidenced on their 2021 album Modern Fiction (Carpark Records). Fans of the Cure will certainly appreciate the guitar and bass melodies, and they even a brilliant cover of “In Between Days” that came out in August with Jane Inc. That cover and others are part of Ducks Ltd. new cover series, The Sincerest Form of Flattery.
Scroll down for setlist, pics of the show (photos by Kevin McGann)
Setlist: Civilization Four, Prize Contest Life, Cujo Kiddies, This Time, The Curtain, The Hardest Part, If Only, Charley Chimp, Tightrope, (With Respect To) Loyal Serfs, Meant To Be, Hitting a Nail with a BB Gun, Communication, Daily Routine
DUCKS LTD.
DISQ
