Of Montreal

Vanguard - June 3, 2005

Live Review by Adam McKibbin

Dance parties, flamboyant personalities and costume changes are all finally finding a place beneath the once-staid umbrella of “indie rock.”  Of Montreal have been bringing sunshine and theatrics to stages for years, but they may be hitting their peak at just the right time with this year’s The Sunlandic Twins and last year’s Satanic Panic in the Attic.  Even with the Pixies and Bloc Party each playing gigs nearby, Of Montreal had no problem drawing hundreds of mop-haired, striped-shirt-wearing fans to the Vanguard.

The band’s electro-pop translates extremely well in a live setting.  Their style is quirky, but straightforward enough that they never stray far from jaunty riffs and danceable beats and bass.  Newcomers, then, can fall swiftly into the fold—especially as the set list heavily favored the latest two albums.  Psychedelic odes like “Disconnect the Dots” and “Spike the Senses” get an added punch from visual enhancements, while every song benefits from the contagious enthusiasm sent out from up on stage by Kevin Barnes and the rest of the merrymakers.

Barnes revels in the front-and-center role, changing through a handful of bizarre costumes, making dramatic entrances, and occasionally singing from the stage floor.  His band is a child of the Elephant 6 collective—and that template is apparent—but they also seem to be the truest and best-humored joker in the deck, and that playfulness takes them into their own territory.  It’s a happy place to join them.