Of Montreal - Paradise Rock Club (Boston, MA; Apr. 21, 2009)

Some bands were created to sell out massive arenas. Others, like of Montreal, thrive in more intimate settings, where theatrical antics, soul-baring vocals, and frenetic flamboyance are more affective from a few feet away. The sold out Paradise Rock Club provided ample space for Kevin Barnes and his fellow Elephant 6-ers to deliver nothing short of the spectacle fans have learned to expect from the Athenians of Georgia.

Beneath his customary sparkly blue eye shadow, Barnes kicked off the set in glam–rock star fashion with the heavy cadence of “Misguisings” from 2008’s Skeletal Lamping, much to the delight of the twenty-something neo-hippies in attendance. Three rectangular screens projected rainbow explosions and arresting graphic designs, though they proved peripheral to the multitude of nonsensical sideshows featuring skin-tight spandex, pig suits, and cake-covered troglodytes. Incredibly, Barnes’ cheeky charisma and powerful showmanship allowed him to remain the focal point despite the constantly unfolding insanity unfolding.

The masses abated as the quintet showcased newer songs like “An Eluardian Instance” and “St. Exquisite’s Confessions.” The latter captured Barnes’ Prince-like vocal qualities and delivery, and more poignantly, it was as if he were working through some deep-seated psychological issues right there on stage, through alter-ego Georgie Fruit. Though the bare-chested front-man dominated the stage, multi-instrumentalist James Husband and angel-winged guitarist Bryan Poole certainly made their presences known. Husband hopped seamlessly from synthesizers and midi programmers to his drum kit, allowing for more recent electro-poppy ditties as well as crowd-pleasing favorites from albums past, while Poole’s distorted thrashings kept the atmosphere abuzz.

The meat of the show featured a number of tracks from The Sunlandic Twins, including “Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games,” which some may recognize from that Outback commercial, but which all should recognize for its uncanny catchiness and gorgeous guitar play as the tune morphs into a melodically infused jam. Of Montreal also treated Boston to a couple brand new songs; the subject matter of one wrestled with themes of “dragon rape” (in case anyone thought for a moment that it was just another rock show). The song itself was interesting as it tied in a number of elements from the many permutations of the band’s sound, ranging from syncopated guitar and simple keyboards to slams of synth and echoing falsetto shrieks.

Somewhat surprisingly, Barnes underwent only one costume change, perhaps figuring that a pink track jacket would better suit his level of sass. The band closed the set with “Id Engager,” which attendees of the concert will remember as the one during which a Tiger-man pumped feathers from a silver hose, blanketing the bouncing throng. After a brief and somewhat painful interlude during which the masked actors tried their hand at music-making, of Montreal returned with encores of “The Party’s Crashing Us” and and an epic version of “Nonpareil of Favor.” As a whole, the show evidenced the band’s brilliance through their fusion of experimentation with intricate layering, silly histrionics with clever melodies, and pop conventions with dizzying originality.

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