June 16, 2009

• Animal Collective @ the Troubadour (February 27, 2009)

  

  How often do you attend a concert where you know nothing about that band?   Animal Collective has been around for years, but I wasn’t familiar with their work.  Their new album, Merriweather Post Pavillion, was raved about in every music magazine and blog.  Radiohead went next level with Ok Computer?  Numerous critics went so far as to say, this was Animal Collective’s “Ok Computer” album.  As they say in the ‘hood, “You know, that next level sh*t.”  I checked out their Myspace page and their song “My Girls” was catchy.  Their video even more so. 

  I bought multiple tickets and sold them all at insane prices.  Then their show got postponed for a month because their lead singer fell ill that weekend.  One music critic who lived in Vegas, who had purchased one of my tickets to the show, drove up to find out that night that the show was off.  Since he couldn’t make the new date, I offered him a full refund and debated whether I should go.  Two of the other buyers said, “Are you going?  You seriously need to think about going.  At this time in our lives, this music matters.”  These are random buyers telling me this.  The echo chants of  “Album of the year…” kept ringing in my head.  Multiple bidders were even trying to convince me to go, which was a first.  So instead of selling my $23 ticket for $120, I went.  

  The Chemist, doin’ work.  No, he’s not a spelunker, he uses the light to see the mix panel since the lights are out on stage. 

  

  Panda Bear with his soaring vocals.  Avey Tare on guitar, and also tweaking sound board.

  

  I prepped myself by reading the Los Angeles Times review of the previous night’s show (at the Fonda) by Scott Sterling.  He raved that it was one of the best shows that he had seen in a long, long time (he’s the guy that I chat with online every so often, the one that got to go to a party/concert at Prince’s house).  The funny thing is, I haven’t ever met the guy, but we are on the same wavelength. 

  The AC boys took the stage and just straight mesmerized for the next 80 minutes.  I don’t really know how to describe it.  They are electronic, dance, experimental.  Pulsating, soaring (Summertime Clothes), chirping, rainforest relaxing, introspective (My Girls), tribal (Lion in a Coma), frivolous (Brother Sport), their songs were all of that.  At the show, the couple next to me told me that they too had gone to the previous night’s gig.   I asked, “Which show was better?” 

  They said, “Tonight was even better than yesterday!” 

  Check out the song “My Girls” on Myspace.  How can you stop yourself from hitting repeat?

  I lucked into taking this picture… I love the angle, colors, focus, everything about it. 

  

  After the show all the band members were willing signers.  The each have their own symbol along w/ their signature.  The Geologist explained his shark to me, Panda Bear uses a bear face and Avey Tare sketches a face that looks like a lion? 

  

  A rule I make for myself but almost didn’t follow…  When you have a chance to catch a band that you like that’s in their prime, at the defining moment/album of their careers, don’t miss that moment.  Like Amy Winehouse two years ago, Radiohead last year, or Radiohead during Ok Computer, U2 during their Elevation tour, Michael Jackson during his Thriller years, A Tribe Called Quest during their Midnight Maurauders tour, Journey in the early 80′s, Nirvana circa 1992, you get the point.

  If you are an electronic or indie music head and want to expand your musical horizons, you have to give Animal Collective’s “Merriweather Post Pavillion” a spin, then let me know what you think.     

  • 2:00 am
  • 4 Comments