A Collective Disappointment

                                                                   (photo via theBrooklynVegan)

Last night i drove down to NYC to catch Animal Collective's hotly discussed live show at Terminal 5. Underneath a glowing globe and shrouded in darkness, the band took the stage behind illuminated tables of electronic equipment and began their brilliant sound collage. They quickly went into their stellar single "MyGirls" without any anticipatory build-up. Almost like they wanted to get it out of the way. Their set was mostly comprised of songs from their latest psychedelic freak-out MerriweatherPostPavillion and they unfortunately played nothing from StrawberryJam or Feels. Highlights of the night included "LeafHouse", "Fireworks" and the 3 song encore of "Bleed" (new), "LionInAComa" and "BrotherSport". 

Sonically, the "band" was extraordinary. Their vocals were equally incredible. Some serious harmonies mixed with their signature hoots and growls. Before i go on i want to repeat, Animal Collective sounded GREAT.  I spent half the show with eyes closed enjoying the intricately weaved soundscape. But part of the reason my eyes were closed was because there wasn't anything to see. That exciting element of live music creation was seriously lacking. They sounded great, sang great but all they did was turn knobs, adjust faders, and tap on an MPC drum pad. In fact, the best parts of the show were the few times when AveyTare played guitar and PandaBear drummed a little on a snare and floor tom. 

What the AC show really needed was live drums. If there was a tight drummer playing on top of the electronics all would have been forgiven. Some interesting visuals might have also served their trippy sound. Honestly, i enjoyed the music but was kinda bored. I would liken it to most hiphop shows i've been to. No matter how good the rhymer/singer is, your still just listening to prerecorded beats. But even that is more exciting when there is a good DJ cleverly mixing records (
A' la DJ Shadow or MixMasterMike). I'm sure their is a lot of skill and precision involved in creating the sound, but they just werent exciting to watch. I haven't been lucky enough to see Radiohead yet, but from the recordings i've heard they have perfected the artful balance of  live electronic rock that Animal Collective is clearly missing.

I have been lucky enough to see some pretty good live music lately and Animal Collective's anticipated performance takes a back seat. Last spring Battles masterfully pulled off that quirky electronic live sampling but mixed it with the raw and energetic punk sound stemming from their ridiculously tight drumming and precise guitars and keys. They have a similar sound to AC but definitely put on a more exciting show because they are more "live music" and guitar oriented. I got to see ofMontreal twice in the past 6 months. For their live show, Kevin Barnes & Co. sacrifice some of the albums crisper elements to allow for fun and unique brand of performance art. Their blend of prerecorded tracks and live musicianship still sounds great and is then taken over the top by the added visual elements. Personally, i'd rather pay to hear/see a dynamic live interpretation of a song than an uninspired electronic re-creation of the album version.

With all that said, im glad i got to hear Animal Collective in person. Unfortunately, seeing them left me wanting more. They certainly have a sound all their own and i will continue to buy and listen to their albums. However, I probably wont go out of my way to see them again. Below are some vids of what i consider to be exciting live performance that successfully add electronics into the mix. The sound is a little blown out as one might expect from amateur video, but i think you can catch my drift. 

Here's oM performing "NonPareil of Favor". The real goodness begins at 5.10. A Truly Psychedelic Performance.

And here's Battles. The Insanity takes off at 2.18.