Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2007 > February > 19 > Entry
Of Montreal at Emo’s
Almost a year to the date of the last time I saw them at Emo’s, I headed down to Sixth St. Friday night to check out Of Montreal. (Click here to see photos from the show.) In typical fashion, the band brought their DayGlo dance party to the masses, although the spirit of this show was a little darker than the utter power trip-pop of last year, thanks ,in part, to an overzealous fan and some more introspective lyrical content of the band’s latest album “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?,” an album that comes hot on the heels of some serious personal drama in the life of band leader Kevin Barnes.
The group still let their freak flag fly, however, as they took the stage to the crescendo of “Carmina Burina” in their bizarre costumes that mirrored both a psychedelic King Arthur’s Court and the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland, with Barnes peeling back layers throughout the show, morphing from a Ziggy Stardust-themed character into an Alex De Large (“A Clockwork Orange”) look. The set list generally culled from the group’s past three albums, with a nice sampling of songs from their latest “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?” (“Bunny Ain’t No Kind Of Rider,” “Labyrinthian,” and “She’s A Rejecter,” among them).
The band maintained, as always, exuberant energy throughout, deviating from one style to another, often within the same song. But herein lies my problem with the band: The thing I love about Of Montreal is also the thing that kind of wears on me. While I find it charming and musically challenging to see them jump from a funky falsetto with a beat thumping on the one into a slowed counter-tempo and waltz, as they did in “Labyrinthian Pomp,” after awhile the constant bounce from pop to rock to funk to soul can be kind of jarring, and authenticity gives way to monotony.
In the band’s defense, they continue to take chances and have stayed true to their artistic vision. That vision, however, was called into question during a contentious bit of back-and-forth between Barnes and an audience member who displayed an Outback Steakhouse banner just feet from the stage. The group sold the rights to one of their most popular songs, “Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games,” to the national restaurant conglomerate, and apparently some fans feel this move made the band, and Barnes specifically, a “sell out.” It seemed to me that most of the fans were agitated by the sign, if not for the message, for its obstruction of their view of Barnes, but Barnes seemed the most perturbed. He lashed out at the sign holder, and from what I could discern, said something to the effect of, “You think I’m a sell out? I’m wearing a freaking thong up here.” Right on.
Certainly the band has the right to sell their music to whomever they want. As Barnes told Pitchfork last year, “We thought it would be totally amusing to hear their take on one of our songs as a jingle” And fans have the right to express their unhappiness, but I would suggest if you think your favorite band has sold out, either don’t attend their show or save your trite vitriol for internet message boards. Don’t ruin the show for everyone else.
Barnes bashed on regardless, telling the audience that he wanted to spread good vibes. Fret not, Kevin. As evidenced by the bouncing masses singing along to each tune, Mission: Accomplished.
Image by Jonas Riise Hamre, taken from Wikipedia
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