Pitchfork

Photos by Stephen Lindley; writeup by Andy DeLoach

Ace Fu's Annuals rocked Atlanta's Variety Playhouse this past weekend, filling in the spaces where there should have been more people standing (or dancing, for that matter) with their Brian-Wilson-in-a-hippie-drum-circle stylings. Unfazed by the poor crowd turnout, the Raleigh sextet delivered its musical wares with an emotionally charged energy that lent credence to all those Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, and Animal Collective comparisons.

Slightly brash and yet somehow somber too, lead singer Adam Baker managed to balance his youthful flair with the maturity suggested by some of his lyrics. And considering the average age of the band members is 20.5, Baker and band have plenty of time to temper their varied influences. For now, Annuals proved themselves worthy of the hype and ready for more.

The band kicks off the second leg of its winter tour in late February. Dates and more photo action ahead.












Annuals dates:

02-20 Newport, KY - Southgate House
02-21 Cleveland, OH - Case Western University
02-22 Chicago, IL - Schubas
02-24 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
02-27 Seattle, WA - Neumos
02-28 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
03-02 San Francisco, CA - Café du Nord
03-03 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland *
03-04 San Diego, CA - Casbah *
03-05 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress *
03-06 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room *
03-07 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad *
03-09 Tulsa, OK - Mooch and Burn *
03-10 Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Gallery *
03-11 Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz *
03-12 Fayetteville, AR - Dickson Theatre *
03-13 Norman, OK - Opolis *

* with Aqueduct