I would be hard pressed to come up with a band I have listened to more in the last five years than Dan Bejar’s Destroyer. As I’ve written before, his March 2020 gig at the Black Cat was the last thing I did before the country shut down for Covid — and it impressed and transfixed me so much that I have been basically listening to his new and old material pretty much non-stop.
I’ve seen Bejar a few times since that fateful gig, including a 2024 gig at Union Stage and twice earlier this year opening for Father John Misty, including the show at The Anthem. But those gigs were all stripped down affairs, either as a duo with guitarist David Carswell or a trio with Carswell and drummer (and acting keyboardist) Joshua Wells. But this time, I would finally get to see a full band performance, which included the aforementioned Carswell and Wells in addition to guitarist Nic Bragg, bassist Brian Betancourt, trumpet player JP Carter, and keyboardist Ted Bois.
And what a band they are. At Black Cat on Oct. 14, Carter and Bragg in particular were given space to really stretch out on multiple songs, trading lead melodies on their respective instruments. I was standing in front of Bragg’s amp so his riffs were pointing right at me all night and I was in heaven. The lead riff on “Kaputt” in particular sounded exuberant and lively. To his credit, Carswell’s rhythm parts (and backing vocals) went a long way in pairing with Bragg and filling out the sound. Both “It Just Doesn’t Happen” and “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood” were transformed into extended jams propelled by Betancourt and Bois.
Watch the official music video for “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood” by Destoyer on YouTube:
Speaking of Kaputt (the album, not the title track), we got four tracks from what is probably my favorite album, including “Savage Night at the Opera,” “Chinatown,” and “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker,” which was preceded by a 5-minute effects pedal workout from Carter while the rest of the band took a seat on the stage and just listened.
The band were touring behind Destroyer’s 14th album, Dan’s Boogie, which was released earlier this year. They opened the show with the cacophonic “The Same Thing As Nothing At All,” and included “Cataract Time,” “Sun Meets Snow,” and the lead single “Bologna,” which Bejar performed as a duet with opening act Jennifer Castle.
Bejar seemed a bit subdued throughout the show, alternating leaning on his waist high mic stand and crouching down when he wasn’t actively singing. He’s never been known for his stage banter and honestly comes across a bit shy and aloof, letting the music do the talking for him.
I have a hard time describing Destroyer’s music to people given how the sound and vibes change for each album; yet during this show, all the songs and album eras meshed together perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for much more from my first complete experience seeing Destroyer as a fully fleshed out band.
Setlist:
Here are some photos of Destroyer performing at The Black Cat on Oct.14, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson.
