If last night’s epic performance at Kilby Court was any indicator, Tim Kasher is the indie rock equivalent of Clark Kent and Superman.
On stage, the modest-looking, flannel-clad front-man of intimate Nebraska cult-classic The Good Life displayed his superhuman powers by prowling about in front of the mic, clearing impossibly high notes in a single yelp, navigating nebulous chord progressions with intuitive aplomb and sending the hearts of swooning scenesters through the roof with just a wayward glance of his desperate, frenetic eyes. He also drank superhuman amounts of an undisclosed liquid from a coffee mug-that’s got to be a super power, right? In a record-breaking (literally-the Good Life performance last night was officially the longest of Kasher’s career, eclipsing the former record-holding 1-hour-30-minute performance in New Jersey with its 2-hour-27-minute bravado) engagement, Kasher was in pitch-perfect form for longer than most audience members could stand up. Exhausting a set list that spanned three albums, a handful of fan requests and even some songs Kasher couldn’t quit remember how to play. He also included monologues about everything from divine fellacio to the upcoming marriage of his brother. Kasher and Co. played Kilby so long, it seemed as though they planned on spending the night: A possibility that would have thrilled the legions of underage fan-geeks that sold out Kilby to get a glimpse of what The Good Life really looks like.
What they saw was probably not what they expected. Despite his monumental music, Kasher is not the Herculean specimen one might expect.
Pot-bellied (a feature he’s quit proud of, thank you very much) and boyish, despite his 30 years of life, Kasher is the physical embodiment of the indie rock appeal: Epic in scope, easily missed in stature.
For a glimpse at the Clark Kent-side of Kasher-mistakable, modest and honestly conflicted with his success-check back with the A&E section in the very, very near future (we’d tell you when, but then we’d have to kill you). After his band-beating performance, Kasher sat down for a one-on-one chat with The Chronicle in the backyard of Kilby Court (literally) to discuss everything from the future of the on-hiatus Cursive Army, favorite movie directors and reasons why art may be hard, but living The Good Life isn’t much easier.