Concert Review: Animal Collective @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a lot of live music in the last couple weeks-Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson, King Khan etc- but was not really all that up for committing my interpretation of the events to the masses (by masses I mean the sixteen people who read this). As much as I enjoyed Leonard Cohen I didn’t want to use terms like “religious experience” even though that what it was, or write about how much I enjoyed Willie Nelson against the onslaught of assholes and Confederate Flags doing their best to ruin it for everyone with more than chewing tobacco for brain fluid. But last night’s Animal Collective show deserves a few words.
We arrived there right at doors thinking we wouldn’t be able to get a decent spot, all I heard were horror stories about the Royal Oak Music Theatre so I was nervous that we would be stuck behind a wall of seventeen year olds not being able to hear or see anything. When we found our spot we proceeded to wait a little over an hour and a half before Grouper came on. With that time I was able to enjoy the supreme pleasure in knowing that your youth has vanished and being perfectly content with it. With that, I will say that being around a bunch of younger people excited to see a show was rather invigorating.
Grouper came on and since there were a large portion of fans that had waited since doors opened everyone was excited when she began to play. That excitement proceeded to dissipate about three to five minutes into her set. Her reverb heavy looped vocals accompanied by her reverb heavy guitar were pretty, but also completely boring. At one point it caught my ear and I realized “wait this sounds like fucking Enya.” And when I made this statement to my friend she laughed, listened, than replied, “you’re right it does sound like Enya.” Sometimes you just have to take the hipster glasses off and see what it really sounds like. If anyone wants to leave some comments about music that sounds ridiculously familiar to a mainstream or uncool musicians go ahead, it’s fun, here I’ll start with an easy one: Vampire Weekend=Paul Simon’s Graceland.
When Grouper finished, Animal Collective came out on stage rather quickly I was rather surprised and grateful at the quick change, but they only came out to set up their be-bop machines and proceeded to go backstage and return to their bong tokes. About a half an hour later they came on and were absolutely amazing. Their stage set up was a large white orb that hung from the ceiling and was used as a projector screen for all these strange film clips, they also had a great light show which, all together, made up for the fact that they were just pushing buttons most of the time. Each song went into another with strange vocals and lush noises. Certain portion of their set seems to go on a little long but it had a flow to it that brought the crowd down than up again. And the crowd was great. I think there were more than a few people who were worried about the dudebro turnout but the crowd was mostly teenagers having a great time there was no pushing or crowd surfing, just a mass of people dancing like crazy, the first and second floor had just large groups of people dancing. From what I could gather since it was really loud and the songs were slightly reworked they mostly played the new album with couple of old songs; “Leaf House” off of “Sung Tongs” and a track off “Strawberry Jam” which I think is called “Fireworks.” After the show and completely satisfied I ran into a friend who said he didn’t like the show. He felt that they lost their organic feel, and the instead of using their vocals to make cohesive melody, they just use their machines to manipulate their voices and it just comes off as noise. Now I won’t argue with him that whatever organic feel they had with “Sung Tungs” is long gone but they still can create this really touching music without emo overtones and among mostly digital instruments. To hear this dance song about a man who unpretentiously wants to just have house for his girls makes you connect a little more to the beauty of life. What they are able to do is get you to enjoy the simple things, inflate them behind a chorus of voices and noises and see the wonders of chores, and kitties. And they can do to a dance beat! They may have changed their sound slightly and crowds may have gotten bigger but overall they still evoke the same feeling when I first heard them, so they’re doing all right to me.
* Photos by Refrigerizer
"Vampire Weekend=Paul Simon’s Graceland" - Brilliant! My thoughts exactly.
actually, there was alot of crowd pushing and surfing in the first couple of rows, it was pretty out of control and almost ruined my experience, I wish I stood futher back on the 1st or second rows
Yeah, there was a bit of crowd-surfing, but not a whole lot. I was on the main floor, on the raised bench near the railing, which made for a great view of everything. I can't think of a show where the lights and other visuals played such an integral role in the experience. I think I caught a little "Fantasia" on that orb, and possibly a shot of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel (surely that was just my imagination).
Sounds like a great jamband show brah, sorry I missed it!
>>>>“Vampire Weekend=Paul Simon’s Graceland” - Brilliant! My thoughts exactly.
Brilliant??
You'd think no one, instead of EVERYONE, has been saying that since Vampire's album came out. Google search and you'll see like 60,000 examples, such as:
"Every review I've read of vampire weekend's self-titled album has compared it to Graceland. so i'm not expressing a fresh idea."
Dr. Detroit is more like Dr. Dunce.
Yeah, most overused comparison of the last year and it's especially annoying because "Graceland" is a great album and "Vampire Weekend" is a snoozefest.
Also, here was the set list:
Also Frightened
Leaf House
My Girls
Who Could Win a Rabbit
Summertime Clothes
What Would I Want Sky
Daily Routine
Slippi
Fireworks mashed with some other song I couldn't recognize (essplode?)
Guys Eyes
Encore:
Bleed
Lion in a Coma
Brother Sport
OMG I actually agree with Jasper for once. Vampire Weekend sucks coooooooock. Unfortunately, it was short lived because all Animal Collective admirers have aids.
Have a good one!
personally i was incredibly disappointed in the dancing that went on. my friend and i were one or two rows from the front, right in front of panda bear, and during "summertime clothes" everyone around us randomly started pushing on each other and people behind us were literally crushing us and i couldn't breathe or listen to the music at all. it was terrifying, honestly. the song went on for so long and i just kept being pushed around like crazy. we eventually had to leave because we were dehydrated, overheated, and about to pass out.
the people in the crowd were friendly as hell and so willing to help us out, and in that respect it was one of the best crowds i've ever been a part of. no, it was THE best. if only it hadn't gotten so crazy...
Thanks Jasper for posting the set list. I was a little disappointed that you didn't do a review of the show since I know you're such an avid fan, and you have seen them more than once. Also, I know this is the internet so everyone has the opportunity to insult people freely and without consequence. But not everyone surfs the net continuously if Dr. Detroit missed the comparison with VW and PS does that really make him a Dunce? And if he is maybe you could forward him some of your favorite Pitchfork reviews so he can reach the height in which your fluid, immense, internet savvy harbors.
Yo Dinglebutt,
As Charles points out, it is obvious I don't spend my time reading or searching the internet for things about Vampire Weekend, but the first time I ever heard that stupid "Oxford Comma" I said to myself that this is Paul Simmon (just like I think Deastro is New Order.) Maybe it's because I spend way too much time on bands in town but I'll start reading every article on Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Spin from now on just for you Dinglebutt.
Also who really cares: Pearl Jam is The Who, Spoon is Billy Joel, Smashing Pumpkins are My Bloody Valentine... yada yada!
rodriguez is so 10 years ago
animal collective is something for closet fags to dance to
-jr
Kentwood,
Two sites beat me to it -- this one and Milo's. I have a limited attention span, am lazy, and also figure anyone who cares was there. And I get tired of reading the same comments about the same bands from the same retards on EatThisCity, so I skipped it.
Dr. Detroit,
Can you ever say "Yeah, I was wrong" and then move on? Seems not.
You posted "Brilliant!!" Like this comparison to "Graceland" was some sort of revelation. Google is your friend (so is spell-check). There's only 60,000-plus examples of this so-called "brilliance."
If one buys and runs a website, then one should be aware of what's going on on the rest of the web.
That's what makes you Dr. Dunce.
First off Dinglebut if we're getting picky I'd like to point out that there's only 54,800 references of Vampire Weekend to "Graceland" on Google on this date, so obviously Google is not your friend. However, I still stand by this sarcastic point: "I'll try to be aware of every single thing that goes on the rest of web from now on because that is soooo humanly possible"!
Finally, why would I admit I was wrong - there's nothing to be wrong about? I personally think the comment was "brilliant" so why the hell would I ever say I was wrong - It's my opinion? Also, maybe I like the way he was pointing out that all these "shit" bands sound like something else prior - including Animal "Brian Wilson" Collective. Hey see that I just used my Google... I'll be sure to do that for every band on the plant from now on before I comment.
Dinglebut - I leave you with this final question: "can't you ever stop armchair quarterbacking my every move"?
it was the best concert i have ever seen..
and i would love to meet the masterminds behind this crazy calm and collective music... :] I would see them in Concert again any day...