Breeders showcase Mountain Battles at the Depot

Rock royalty often grants the Deal sisters and their band, the Breeders, status and respect amongst its elites. Kim Deal, having been the bassist for the legendary Pixies, ensures that the group at least has a consideration in this category. But the Breeders, with their sporadic releases, have also managed to earn their own admirers, inspiring one band to write the song "Cool As Kim Deal." And, indeed, cool she is.

The Breeders stopped by to jam out at the Depot on Tuesday, May 27, shortly after performing at The Sasquatch Music Festival the previous weekend. It wasn’t a huge crowd for this venue, but had it been at, say, In The Venue, it would have been a full house.

Starting off the set with "It’s the Love" and "Little Fury," the Breeders cranked up the amps and let the reverb loose. The drunken crowd whooped and hollered between every song.

The crowd could hardly restrain their adoration, frequently bursting out, "I love you Kim! You too Kelly!" Throughout the set, Kim and Kelly engaged in witty, sisterly banter that removed the veil of mystery and superiority sometimes shrouding seasoned rock stars.

The band covered "Happiness is a Warm Gun" by the Beatles, and also a couple songs from fellow Dayton Ohio neighbor bands Guided By Voices and The Tasty’s. At one point, Kim got confused as to which position the switch on her guitar needed to be at to play rhythm and asked Kelly for help. They also discussed the challenges of having a mother afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

True, the Breeders have already had their glory days, which arguably were not that extravagant at all. But there is a humility and light-heartedness the Deals carry with them that makes their efforts at continuing to make music very appropriate and endearing.

The crowd this night felt like cheerleaders. We wanted the Breeders to succeed against the adversities of age, the typical  years of previous drug-use turmoil, and the overwhelming expectations that usually make rock reunions more pathetic than cool. Fortunately, instead of pathetic, it was fun, and they succeeded.

The Breeders newest album, Mountain Battles, was released on April 7 and is available online and everywhere CDs are sold.