Yuvees to Exhibit Their ‘Quixotic’ Art-Rock at First Boise Gig Tonight
Yuvees frontman Brendon Broome began developing a taste for great music before he was even born.
By way of explanation, his mom attended one of Nirvana’s final shows while she was pregnant with him.
“I was in utero for the In Utero tour,” he cracked to the Bad Penny earlier this week.
In his youth, Broome expanded his encyclopedic knowledge of indie-rock by digging into his Gen X parents’ record collection. He delved deeper by familiarizing himself with bands from where he grew up in Dayton, Ohio — like Guided by Voices and the Breeders.
Broome’s mother further set him on the path to musicianship by scraping enough money together to purchase his first instrument.
“She was working at Bob Evans, and she saved all her tips to buy me a guitar from a pawn shop,” he recalled.
Now 28 years and living in Portland, Broome heads up his own band, the Yuvees. Their warped, arty sound will appeal in particular to fans of Brainiac (also from Dayton) and Les Savy Fav. Yuvees make their Boise debut tonight at Neurolux, opening for Quasi.
The delightfully peculiar-sounding band — which also includes Broome’s partner, Samantha Oxley (bass, vocals, guitar); Riley Mclaughlin (guitar, bass); and Hadrian Ringstad Kindt (drums) — has an unorthodox living arrangement too. They share the same house, which is actually a dream come true for Broome.
“As a kid, I always wanted that: The band lives together, and we wake up and practice,” he remembered. “We never really fight. … It helps that we’re all idiots and clowning around all the time. We don’t take anything like it’s going to end our lives or careers.”
Yuvees’ 24/7 camaraderie could explain why their songs, batty as they often sound, also have a strong through line to them. Just about every one of their tunes is well-suited for a stroll through a contemporary-art museum. With such a well-honed sound, it’s no wonder Yuvees are close to signing a record deal.
Broome wasn’t at liberty to say which label they’re considering, but he did note that he’s on a songwriting tear and that the band already has a new album in the bag.
“The newer material is more earnest, quixotic, romantic in the sense that there’s an existential longing,” he commented, adding that Yuvees will probably play some of it at tonight’s show.
The concert is part of their fourth tour in nine months — yes, you read that right. But this trek is especially meaningful for the band.
At September’s Lose Yr Mind festival in Portland, Yuvees played on the same bill as Slang, a new project featuring Quasi vocalist/drummer Janet Weiss. Broome and company must’ve made an impression on her, because — even though they hadn’t met — Weiss apparently requested Yuvees tour with Quasi.
“I can only assume that’s how it happened,” Broome surmised. “I was out working, piling leaves into the back of a truck, having the worst fucking day of my life. … [My phone] was going off, and I wanted to throw it. But I picked it up and saw their booking agent wanted us to go on tour. The cigarette dropped out of my mouth.”
Expect jaws to drop when Yuvees perform at Neurolux. Especially if you’re pregnant, it’s a show not to be missed.
The Yuvees play with Quasi tonight at Neurolux. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance on Ticketweb and $20 at the door.
The Bad Penny (beta) 
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