Last night Of Montreal played a very much sold out show at Le Poisson Rogue. Believe it or not, it was my first time ever seeing Kevin Barnes and company live in the flesh. I don’t know how it got to be so long, but I finally corrected my tragic mistake last night.
The show was as colorful and theatrical as imagined, but it actually was not as off the rails and bonkers as expected after seeing photos of Barnes bringing a white horse on stage with him in shows of the past. There was no horse to be found last night, but there were plenty of other antics that made the show as entertaining as you’d hope when going into one of their shows. You had people in white costumes running out to hold up screens that would project over Barnes and his band. Barnes would change outfits, even going shirtless during the show. During the encore a pair of costumed men/women came out as Barnes “parents” and crowdsurfed as the band kicked into a song apparently called “Don’t Fuck The Candyman.”
The 22-song set saw songs played from across their lengthy discography, sure to please fans of each album in some way. More recent cuts such as ”
Fugitive Air” and “Raindrop In My Skull” were played along with classic cuts such as “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse” and “Gronlandic Edit”, which was an awesome experience to hear. Female vocalist Rebecca Cash, who celebrated her birthday (and got a nice sing-along from the crowd, led by Barnes) was a prominent presence on all tracks, especially the show’s epic closing number “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” which the band jammed out for just about its full 12-minute run. It showcased everything about Of Montreal that make them show special. The showmanship but most importantly, they are seasoned and talented musicians who brings all kinds of elements to work, bridging the gap between genres, putting performance first and foremost.
All regular concert goers need to attend an Of Montreal show at least once in their lifetime. You’re cheating yourself if you don’t.
Find photos of the show posted below after the setlist.
Setlist:
1. Girl Named Hello
2. Triumph of Disintegration
3. Disconnect the Dots
4. Id Engager
5. Spike the Senses
6. Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider
7. Faberge Falls for Shuggie
8. Fugitive Air
9. Plastis Wafers
10. Coquet Coquette
11. Obsidian Currents
12. Raindrop in My Skull
13. Mingusings
14. St. Exquisite’s Confessions
15. Oslo in the Summertime
16. The Party’s Crashing Us
17. Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
Encore:
18. Don’t Fuck the Candy Man
19. Suffer for Fashion
20. Gronlandic Edit
21. She’s a Rejecter
22. The Past Is a Grotesque Animal
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