Of Montreal played before a live audience of what looked to be up to 350 people, Sunday night at Grand Central. Their opener was an artist by the name of Nedelle Torrisi who hails from Los Angeles, California. Her set, predominately driven by an electric violin, reminded me of the days where indie-pop musicians actually incorporated another set of strings into their sets.
Once Ms. Torrisi went on, one noticed that she was no stranger to the stage the way she engaged with her audience, there was not a single soul on the floor that wasn’t grooving to the sweet and innocent tunes that were coming out of her amplifiers. Once her set was done there was a 30-minute break before Of Montreal came on. Of Montreal who hails from Athens, Georgia came on at 10:40.
Of Montreal, who is touring behind their new album that comes out in March which is entitled, Aureate Gloom, played in my opinion one of the best sets I had ever seen (and this come from seeing them 5+ times). The whole theme of their show was that they were trying to raise money to stop the “Preppies” who according to the presenter (not Kevin Barnes) were trying to take over the Rec Centre (Grand Central). If you’re not familiar with Of Montreal or have not had the chance to see them live, a great thing about their shows is the on stage performance art that backs up Kevin Barnes and his gang. Last night a giant eye caressed Mr. Barnes as he was singing to the crowd. Another interesting thing about Of Montreal is the costumes they choose to wear during their performances. The costume theme last night was Jacques Cousteau meets Ziggy Stardust. Kevin Barnes the lead singer had three
Last night a giant eye caressed Mr. Barnes as he was singing to the crowd. Another interesting thing about Of Montreal is the costumes they choose to wear during their performances. The costume theme last night was Jacques Cousteau meets Ziggy Stardust. Kevin Barnes the lead singer had three wardrobe changes during his set. At the end of the show, the presenter (who looked like he was part of the Aquabats) had decided to adopt the whole crowd and to live in harmony with one another. Of Montreal at the end of their set humorously raised enough money to defeat the “Preppies” and live in harmony with their fans. It was truly a spectacle to see and experience, but what is an Of Montreal show without awesome music, a comedic storyline, awesome costumes, and amazing performance art?
Photography By Sarah MK Moody