Animal Collective at Paradise Rock Club on 3/15/22
Avey Tare stepped up on the stage with a guitar; Geologist strapped on his signature headlamp and got to work on an ultra-confusing assortment of instruments; Panda Bear got comfortable at the drums and Deakin settled in on the keyboard. Together, the four casually dressed men formed Animal Collective, a misleadingly named experimental pop band (they are in fact humans, not animals). The group opened with “Cherokee,” a track off their newest album Time Skiffs, named best new music by Pitchfork. A synth-heavy transition lead into “Soul Capturer,” an unreleased crowd pleaser. Throughout the set were several other b-sides and unreleased tracks, creating a uniquely personal experience for concertgoers. Among the favorites played were extended versions of “Applesauce,” “In the Flowers,” and “The Purple Bottle.” In fact, every song in Animal Collective’s two hour set was extended, allowing the band to create new music in the venue itself.
Animal Collective’s aptitude for live performances is perhaps their most striking quality. The band prides themselves on not using sequencers during live sets, instead fiddling with up to fifty layers of synths and letting the crowd in on the creative process. Animal Collective values the transitions between songs, using them to show their audience just how talented they are. While these often long transitions may not appeal to the casual listener, the group’s fans can appreciate their musical prowess. Animal Collective also committed to playing their more obscure songs, opting for b-sides and deep cuts over hits. While it was surprising that the band chose not to play their most popular songs, their unique setlist offered the audience a more intimate concert experience. After all, nobody goes to an Animal Collective show to hear their greatest hits played verbatim. They go to see the band do what they do best: create music. Animal Collective approaches the stage not as a performance space, but as a creative studio, tinkering with their instruments like friends in their parents’ basement. They created a profoundly intimate concert experience that is seldom replicated in the sphere of electronic music.
Check out Animal Collective’s next tour dates here: https://home.myanimalhome.net/#/tour