The Great Northern

Deer Tick play Northhampton for Patrick Swayze

Photos by Alex Nathanson » I like to imagine that Deer Tick spends most of their time playing at dive bars across the Midwest, with names like Big Bob's Country Bunker or Betty Beavers Truck Stop, with Patrick Swayze standing guard outside. I was a little disappointed to arrive at a venue without a chicken wire fence for the band to hide behind when the mostly trucker/farm hand clientele start to throw beer bottles once they're bored with the music.

Text by Alex Nathanson
Posted on November 12, 2009

This one's for Swayze the Yankee cooler. Too soon?

John McCauley of Deertick standing on a balcony

John McCauley singing in Northhampton

Golden Ghost from Northhampton perform Johnny Corndawg

Deer Tick performs live in Northhampton

Golden Ghost live at the Iron Horse

Deer Tick singer John McCauley performs with his band at Northhampton's Iron Horse

Flash-free photo of amplifiers on stage

Deer Tick and band live Johnny Corndawg

At least the plaid-covered college students looked like truckers. Openers Golden Ghost, a two piece folk soul band, weren't particularly good live, but were followed by Johnny Corndawg, a country singer from Nashville, with a seemingly endless supply of awkward facial expressions. My knowledge of country music is limited to say the least, but I do love Townes Van Zandt, and to say that Johnny Corndawg kind of reminded me of Van Zandt is probably the same as when you say an indie band reminds you of Sonic Youth. Deer Tick put on a great show and where the only set to get people dancing.