Turning the fuzz on his guitar way up, Noah Lennox began to strum out thick layers of shredded guitar blasts as swirling lights above him gave way to psychedelic-inspired imagery behind him as he launched forth with his band through a dizzying display of some of his best solo work. Of course starting the night with a cover of Angel Du$t's "Never Ending Game" was not what many in the packed crowd expected and moving from that swiftly into "Song for Ariel" made it certain that Panda Bear was going to follow the vibes and play a unique set of songs from throughout his career. When he led the band into "50mg," things took more of a familiar turn even as the images behind him continued to pull from the absurd and the expressionistic. Continuing to add more Rock flavors with his heavy guitar tones, Lennox built up the perfect intro of lashing guitar rips before fully launching into a killer version of "Tomboy." He has said that Nirvana had been a big inspiration while he was working on the album of the same name as the tune and this performance really showcased Panda's nod to the grunge heroes. Dirty, ragged guitar gave the song new sonic textures that diverged from the otherwise bright and blissful Psych-Pop elements that usually blossom from Lennox's work and it brought out a newfound energy from within the crowd. More deep cuts like "The Preakness" and the recent b-side "Virginia Tech" were also given proper live treatments and seeing these songs come to life with a full-fledged band really gave them all added depth despite the already existing complexities of the music. Seeing Noah lead the band also helped to showcase his talents as a songwriter as he grows his live show from his past version of him hovering over pedal boards to him in front of an ensemble all adding extreme details to make these songs take flight. As the rhythms hit for "Boys Latin," a stand-out on his often under appreciated record Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, the added vocals from his group made the delayed and distorted vocal work of the track pop off in true surround sound as the three-part syncopation sprang forward in the mix and left the crowd in awe of the performance. Since the show leans so heavily on the rock elements of Panda Bear's sound, "Defense" was another profound hit that really shook the space and had the crowd cheering back with excitement as Lennox drilled into the dazzling riffs. These sharpened guitar sounds along with the dreamy layered vocals harmonies were bursting with life throughout the night and really proved the legacy status of Panda Bear's immense solo career and his ability to rearrange his work to always feel cohesive is a true testament to his artistic ability. Animal Collective has seen a far swing in popularity over the course of their now several decades career, but Panda Bear, arguably their biggest successful solo member, has always remained a prominent figure that draws in attention from his scene at such a consistent rate and watching him live, it's clear that even as his sound and crowds evolve, he can continuously find ways to reinvent his work into something of the moment and that really feels timeless.
Set list:
02 "Song for Ariel"
03 "50mg"
04 "Tomboy"
05 "The Preakness"
06 "Virginia Tech"
07 "Boneless" [The Notwist cover]
08 "Ends Meet"
09 "Boys Latin"
10 "Ferry Lady"
11 "Defense"
12 "Shepard Tone"
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13 "Praise/Buoys"
13 "Praise/Buoys"
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