By now, it's become commonplace to refer to Animal Collective as the Grateful Dead of the indie music scene. Why?
- The musicians perform their songs loosely in concert, often choosing to find their way through electronic and rhythmic improvisations as musical transitions.
- Band members Avey Tare and Geologist recently cited the band as a shared influence when they first met because of their interest in improvisation as 9th graders.
- They are now using a Dead sample in oneof their songs.
- Their live shows push an absurd amount of neon psychedelia (see above).
- It seems that many of their die-hard fans have adopted a counterculture-like style of fashion (face paint, rags), which, as in the case of the Dead, risks becoming a parody of itself as it increases in popularity. (A little editorializing there.)
I've come to believe strongly in this basic principle: if you are a rock band, you need to deliver songs. Many excellent songs. Whether in the studio or in concert, the songs are where the focus should be. Observing the audience during AC's musical transitions, I noticed that many fans would either lapse into conversation or take a toke and wig out dancing. Both are signs of musical boredom that I recognize from every jamband concert I have been to. And, believe me, I've been to more than I care to recount. The best moments in AC's set were the songs. But there were too few of them.
It's a bit ironic that the band that took to the Green Stage before Animal Collective was Guided by Voices, guys who have made their name simply playing the hits. Upon taking the stage, Robert Pollard asked the audience (paraphrasing here) if we were "ready for some quality, authentic, rock and roll music?!" The band proceeded to blast drunkenly through 15 to 20 strangely anthemic tunes, the best of their career, and then left as quickly as they had appeared. And how, you ask, did Pollard transition between songs? Song title, dose of tequila, count-off, go. That's rock and roll.
Maybe that's the true sign of getting older: lack of patience for jam bands. In that case, I've been old my whole life.
ReplyDeletenice post! and nice comment, CHO. One key word you left out of Pollard's introduction was "professional," which was the self-descriptor that most stuck out to me. Not sure if many groups would describe their sound or performances as "professional" rock and roll (why/why not/implications could make an interesting follow-up post, including ruminations on The Big Payback, maybe?) but I think the efficient, streamlined GBV performance was most certainly professional, and better for it. Though I have no regrets about wandering off to catch Das Racist, either.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Emma! As an aside: If GBV are professional, then that gives a whole new meaning to "drinking on the job".
ReplyDeleteTotally, it's all about the professionalism. Joni Mitchell (when she was still able to tour) would calmly and smoothly go through a pack of cigarettes and half a fifth of something during a set, but that just flowed smoothly with her whole performance. Definitely possible to get blitzed and still put on a hell of a show.
ReplyDeleteOh and a more recent example: I saw the New Pornographers at Metro a couple years ago, and they were all high as kites, except Dan Bejar, who was on an angry whiskey drunk, and they still played flawlessly, and got through a lot of songs for us to rock out to. They did have a little between-song banter that degenerated into giggling, but that was about it.
But also, I agree with you, Josh, that the songs are what make a show (if it's a rock/pop show). Prance around, tell me some entertaining stories, sure, but make sure I hear a lot of songs that make me shake it. Wolf Parade do a great job of this. Also Elvis Costello. Neither of them even introduces a song, they just blast from one to the next.