Animal Collective’s triumphant return to a favorite venue was as joyous and strange as fans could have hoped.
Columbia’s historic Merriweather Post Pavilion is all about atmosphere. From the open-air aura of the venue to the oblique architecture designed by Frank Gehry, the setting played an integral role in last night’s spectacle. As sonic experimentalist Animal Collective returned to its home state to take the stage at Merriweather, a dense fog enclosed the venue as the early-fall sky turned a deep purple. The band was home.
Opening up the night were oddball pop outfit, Micachu & the Shapes, whose material is something of an acquired taste, punctuated by lead vocalist Michacu’s grimy, Billy Idol-esque growl and drummer Marc Pell’s groove-heavy dance beats. Animal Collective is known for choosing opening acts based solely on members’ own personal tastes, and the crowd did not seem to share a mutual affinity for the group. The Shapes’ clanging sound paired with Micachu’s indecipherable vocals were tough to swallow and certainly seemed to put the crowd on edge.
As the Shapes closed their set, mostly playing material from their 2012 release Never, Merriweather began to fill up ever so slightly. A venue that’s able to accommodate almost 20,000 concert-goers may seem an ambitious locale for an Animal Collective show, considering their sound is most effective when molded for a smaller, more intimate venue. However, as the loyal fans started to fall in, the expansive feel of the venue seem to give way to a cozier atmosphere that held true for the rest of the night.
The Baltimore band has never been one to create a spectacle. Their light shows and stage setups are extravagant, but the band rarely ever has a spotlight illuminating themselves to the audience. They’d rather remain obscured allowing their sounds and textures to leave an impression on the audience. Last night was no different.
Animal Collective took the stage encircled by a gigantic mouth stage prop, complete with large glowing teeth. The last time the band played this venue, they seemed to be slightly overwhelmed. The group was still reeling from the massive success of 2009’s superb Merriweather Post Pavilion, the title of which was inspired by the members’ love of the venue as teenagers growing up in the state. The band had suddenly been faced with the arduous burden of trying to please a new, burgeoning fan base — and if anything, Animal Collective is a group that doesn’t play into audience’s expectations. It prefers to perform new, unreleased material at their shows, with a few cuts from previous albums here and there.
However, last night’s performance didn’t seem to heed any nervousness, as the group embraced the venue this time around, allowing their sonic masterpieces to take center stage.
As members Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Geologist and Deakin assumed their positions onstage, the crowd welcomed the band with open arms. The band seemed to take a few seconds to soak in the fact that it was playing at the storied venue it admired so much, and the moment of pause was well deserved.
Each member took his position on stage, encased in the monolithic mouth, and the magic began. The set contained mostly material from the newly released Centipede Hz, alongside several tracks from Merriweather Post Pavilion. While the set list has remained pretty consistent from night to night during the band’s current tour, it’s the improvised interludes and segues from song to song that make each tour stop a unique experience.
The transition between set-opener “Rosie Oh”and standout “Today’s Supernatural” sounded as if an airplane with a busted engine was taking off in reverse. Just as the massive wall of sound reached deafening levels, that radio signal and Avey Tare’s call to arms “COME ON, LE-LE-LE-LE-LE GO!” kicked in.
Centipede Hz is by no means as handcrafted and dense as Merriweather Post Pavilion, but last night’s venue allowed the songs from this year’s release the space needed to fully see their potential. The radio aesthetic, which played a vital role in the show’s psychedelic video/light show, fits in well with the static sound of Centipede Hz. Throughout set highlights “Applesauce,” “Moonjock” and “Pulleys,” the eerie crackle of radio feedback made it clear the band was fully aware of the sound they were reaching for and had full grasp of the audience.
The true highlight of the night, however, was the closing pair of “Brother Sport”and Strawberry Jam’s “Peacebone.” While these are two of the most audibly dense tracks the band has ever released, their true value was revealed in the thick mist of Merriweather last night. As “Brother Sport” broke down into its extended instrumental bridge, the rave-influenced vibe it exhibited on Merriweather was replaced here with Calypso-inspired instrumentation. The crowd went into a frenzy as Panda Bear pounded on his makeshift drum kit and sample expert Geologist threw out sound after sound. It was the perfect ending to a sublime night.
Animal Collective makes music for the nerves. Its songs writhe their way up your spine and bring the listener to an almost instinctive, primal state, one where songs work at an infectious level that suddenly makes any noise or sound suddenly catchy and life-affirming. As the group took the stage one last time for the encore, there was a sense of relief that seemed to overtake the audience, a feeling that quickly turned cathartic as those little bleeps and bass drum kicks of “My Girls” started to creep in. Animal Collective has created something very special, and here’s to hoping they don’t stop anytime soon.
diversions@umdbk.com