Animal Collective perform at the Ogden Theater on March 1, 2016. Photos by Andrew Bisset, heyreverb.com.
While most of the country was buzzing over Super Tuesday’s winners and losers, scores of neo-psychedelia enthusiasts were gearing up for . The vibe was mellow as the audience swayed to house music as the massive stage set-up of blown up characters moved with the breeze. Right at 9:15pm, Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin and Geologist took the stage and let the beats build for an hour and a half.
The opening material was more improv than song, with Panda Bear s vocals both emphasizing and isolating the band s sound simultaneously. The crowd mirrored the music’s minimalist phrasing, as they let at least three jams go by before interrupting the band with cheers and applause. Tracks from Merriweather Post Pavilion like Brother Sport and My Girls got the crowd moving as the lights danced and jumped with the beats and sounds.
Related: Animal Collective’s Geologist talks cancelling shows, alienating audiences
Bands like Animal Collective perfect their sound in the studio and when on stage, set them on an audience at just the right moment. The rendition of In the Flowers, was at once indiscernible from the original song and so exuberant when combined with the lights, heat and energy circulating from the band back to the crowd. It felt like a daydream wrapped in an out-of-body experience.
By the end of the first hour, the guys were sweating through their headlamp straps and shedding layers. The drums beat on, though, and the crowd rose to meet them as the stage lights melted into the over-sized backdrop. Animal Collective and its sold-out crowd waded through the moment, reveling in a night of brilliant sonic art.
