If there was any doubt about how Shearwater would hold up against the fury of the Black stage just across the creek, Jonathan Meiburg wasted now time in allaying those concerns. The Shearwater frontman unloaded probably the most powerful vocals of all of Saturday’s shows, and as evidenced by 2008’s stellar Rook, his band has finally found the strength needed to support him. As a sextet, the group at times unleashed a cacophonous roar, at once incredibly intricate and unrepentantly apocalyptic. Even when Meiburg was tweaking his most delicate falsetto, there was rage rumbling underneath that the band brought to fruition. In addition to tunes like “Rooks,” Shearwater also showcased some of the new material on their upcoming 6th album The Golden Archipelago, due early next year. Expect gold indeed.
