Yellow Ostrich @ Johnny Brenda’s.

Text and images by Grace Dickinson.

Yellow Ostrich swung by Philadelphia again on Tuesday to play a show at Johnny Brenda’s, opening with a song about swimming with whales from their 2011 album, The Mistress. It was the band’s fourth time at the venue but their first time as the headliner for the night.

“We love this place, we really do,” said Alex Schaaf, the lead singer and guitarist who created Yellow Ostrich, originally a solo project, a few years back.

He teamed up with drummer Michael Tapper and the musically talented Jon Natchez, for his next album, Strange Land, which dominated the Tuesday night show. (Natchez plays an impressive 11 different instruments on the latest album, Marathon Runner).

Still generally in the early stages of gaining widespread recognition, the trio played to a mid-sized crowd – though many in attendance seemed to be singing along with the lyrics. The audience also held some notable faces, including members of the War on Drugs and Sharon Van Etten’s band, along with a hot, madly in love couple dancing in the front-left corner of the room.

Known for his boyish voice, and lyrics of self-discovery, Schaaf meshed well with the band’s horns and the wooden shells ringing from the one of the cymbals. The band ended with a well-received encore of a cover of the Talking Head’s “Heaven,” followed by one of their own originals.

After opening for everyone from the Antlers to Ra Ra Riot, Yellow Ostrich are now successfully selling out their own shows on their current tour.

If Schaaf has his way, you can look for them back at Johnny Brenda’s sometime in the near future.