of Montreal's Psychedelic Theatrics in Dallas
Photography: Bryan Yalta
There's always something magical about theater that makes it so appealing to watch, whether it's the acting itself or the props or costumes setting. It becomes even more interesting when a band incorporates those theatrical elements into their performance, making their songs pop out even more. They become way more memorable, and that's exactly the effect that happens when of Montreal performs. The band played at Trees on Thursday, October 27th, providing a show of psychedelic, funky grooves and ornate projections and designs. of Montreal's latest album, Innocence Reaches, was released on September 12th of this year via Polyvinyl Records. The album sees of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes going in a direction more towards 60s psychedelic pop with a mix of modern electronic music. It creates a range of songs that are both danceable and melodically pleasing to hear.
(Music video for of Montreal's "It's Different For Girls")
Translating the album's songs onto the stage, they came out even livelier as Barnes plays the role of each individual speaker who is in each song. The audience saw this in the many costume changes the lead man went through the whole night. Along with Barnes changing, there were also other changes that occurred in the stage, such as the introductions and ends of characters galore that popped up. There were dancers with human face masks, policemen taking off their skin, a giant possum, a guy with a Trump mask and a penis costume--a very diverse group of individuals onstage within the span of an hour. It's very clear that of Montreal has control of its audience whenever they're performing. They know how to attract people, how to keep them watching, whether it's through interesting video projections, inserting random characters and skits onto the songs, or, what drives it all, the music and how it moves and turns and sounds. It all seems like one giant collage of images, sounds, and movements that fit together into one hell of a show. And one hell of a show it was.
If you're looking for a fun show, especially one that will leave you in a colorful trance, make sure to go see of Montreal next time they're in town. Check out some of the photos from the show below.
