By Molly Kish //
Animal Collective with Micachu & The Shapes //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
September 21st, 2012 //
Nearly a week after Animal Collective’s first of two nights in Oakland, I am still reeling from what we got to witness last Friday at the Fox Theater. The show was my first time seeing the Baltimore quartet live, and I tried but in no way could have been able to mentally prepare for the concert spectacle, which the band has come to be known for over the past 12 years.
The current tour highlighting their ninth LP Centipede Hz is one that showcases venues indicative of their veteran status. With appearances scheduled for Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and Big Day Out in Australia plus shows at various museums and large-scale music halls throughout the band’s European stretch, I felt fortunate to have caught them in such a beautiful location like the Fox.
Upon entering the theater’s lobby, you could feel the electricity in the air. With the venue reaching capacity and opener Micachu & The Shapes finishing their set, AC fans started scampering wildly through the hallways further heightening the anticipation ever present amongst the crowd. Although opinions are subjective on where the best place to view the stage is at this theater, I chose to opt for general admission.
After entering into the lower level and further positioning myself above the swarming bodies in the pit, I could not have felt any better about my position and subsequent immersion within the masses. The demographic ranging from burners still shaking off playa dust to UC undergrads dressed to the nines, I immediately was entertained by the diverse range and obscurely wide spectrum of responses the show inevitably was about to evoke.
As a longtime AC fan, I had my preferences for the potential setlist ahead. Knowing that they were going to obviously focus on cuts from “Centipede Hz” I previewed the tracks beforehand extensively. As for the rest of the audience, those not familiar with the new material were definitely thrown for a loop. They hit us hard with four brand-new tracks back to back with a dizzying array of vocal ranges and improvisational jam sessions, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the evening’s plan to desensitize even the most seasoned concertgoers.
The complex electronic arrangements interlaced with tribal drum beats, pulsing baselines and static noise conclusions to most of the songs on their new album, making way for near-perfect transitions between the opening tracks “Rosie Oh”, “Today’s Supernatural” and “Wide Eyed.” Once Animal Collective had asserted their presence, the band shifted over into more lighthearted material, with the next song “Applesauce” from Centipede HZ serving a playful homage to the simplicities of childhood. This led straight into the funk-driven A-side off of their eponymous 7″ single “Honeycomb”, which got a great response from the partially disseminated crowd.
Laughing I turned to a girl whom I’d been watching through my peripheral vision. Deducting she felt the same way I did through her abhorrent body language directed at the current surrounding crowd of underage hipster hookers, I reassured her that the band’s playlist will clear out the amateurs soon enough — a notion that was only further punctuated by the next song, an old-school crowd favorite in “Lion In A Coma” from 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. Sending the pit into a frenzy, the prevalent sound of the didgeridoo vibrated skin off of anyone within 100 feet of the stage while the entire crowd amidst screaming the chanted chorus was bouncing along in a cohesive pogo clusterfuck.
Subsequently in the same pop-centric manner came two more tracks from the 2012 release in “Moonjock” and “Father Time”, which effortlessly segued into the show’s second half. Both songs continued in the same vein as dance-driven, lyrically decipherable and melodic gems with opportunities for vocal improvisation and band interaction. Though the boys were almost lost amongst the musical chaos, set design and incredible light show during the first half of their set, they had taken full command of the stage — and their audience — by this point. Dancing with each other and losing themselves in the moment, you could tell that they were enjoying their performance as well as spatial capacity contributing to their vantage point from the stage.
Slowing down the dance party briefly, the band then transitioned into “New Town Burnout” — another track off of Centipede HZ — that creates a strong, jam-based musical atmosphere, further aiding in the dispersal of those strictly present for the high-energy commercial AC hits. It was clear that the hardcore fans were amped, and rightfully so — because not only were they aware of the dynamic ending of the song, but correspondingly the possibility of it escalating into a full-blown party block.
As anticipated, the music blended perfectly into another new song “Monkey Riches”, which in turn becomes more of an extension of the predecessor and was perfect to go with the evening’s crowd dynamic, allowing for truly fervent fans to be front and center for the explosively climactic cut “Brothersport”. Beyond the mind-blowing light show and overwhelming intensity of the screaming crowd sing-along, Animal Collective took it even further by playing the extended bridge version of the song, leaving every person present at that moment feeling as though they might combust with unprecedented excitation during the monster buildup midway through.
The concert then ended with the crowd marching to the beat of “Peacebone”, an old favorite from 2007’s Strawberry Jam. In no way could they have finished on such an upbeat and obviously unfinished note, and shortly thereafter they remedied any thought of that with an encore of “Cobwebs” into “My Girls” before wrapping up with “Amanita” to reach a mellow conclusion, using two older, popular tracks known for their mainstream appeal and one of the quieter songs on Centipede Hz to round it all out.
Beyond the incredibly professional execution of their performance and incomparable musical talent, the set design for this tour was one derived from beautiful nightmares and hit the nail right on the head for that perfect AC ambiance. The band staged itself dead center in the middle of giant teeth with Burton-esque inflatable tentacles growing around them at all angles, intermittently dispersed among glowing, floor-based stalagmites. All of which only was further accentuated by various psychedelic images being projected on their surface along with a rainbow’s worth of light fixtures. Needless to say, they didn’t spare on the design budget while still managing to create a remarkably unique and encapsulating experience.
Ultimately I left the Fox not only satisfied, but also hungry for more as I chatted with friends on the BART ride back home about how we were going to try and find tickets for the following night’s performance. If they delivered that magnitude of a show the first night, what more could they have in store for the second date?
Although I didn’t in fact make it back out, I can’t wait for them to come back and grace the Bay Area with their presence once more. I am surprised I have waited so long to see them in the first place, and now I will be confirming my future reservation for all upcoming performances within my vicinity. If you get a chance to check them out in a town near you, be sure to do so with an open mind and sense of adventure. For all those who are already fans, don’t let yourself miss them … it’s an experience like no other.
Setlist:
Rosie Oh
Today’s Supernatural
Wide Eyed
Applesauce
Honeycomb
Lion in a Coma
Moonjock
Father Time (New Song? Intro)
New Town Burnout
Monkey Riches
Brother Sport (Extended Bridge)
Peacebone
Encore:
Cobwebs
My Girls
Amanita
so descriptive…great post