Dan Deacon is a pain in the ass. He takes over an hour to set up his shit, bugs the sound guy all through his set, and engages in crowd-control antics that feel like a dark, manipulative version of Simon Says. But, the guy certainly knows how to whip up a crowd into a frenzy, the way he did at Todd P's outdoor joint last night in Bushwick. 

On tour in support of his swirling, ecstatic new album Bromst, Deacon seems to want to grasp, once and for all, the maestro mantle. He plays with an "ensemble" of sixteen (including all the members of Future Islands and Teeth Mountain.) He uses hand gestures to coax the crowd into doing his bidding. And he refers to his jams as "pieces," which says a lot about his ambition - not to mention his background as a conservatory-trained composer. (He's apparently got commissions coming out his ass right now, including one So Percusssion will be premiering next week at Galapagos.) But, he's mostly about good vibes and getting people to shut up and dance, even if his arm's in a sling and he's wearing a tattered t-shirt from 2005. Let's hope he cleans it up a bit when the concert hall comes calling. (More pics below.)