Tame ImpalaDynamic frontman Cam Avery led his swamp rock outfit The Growl during a spirited performance in the opening slot. It was a full-blooded set swimming in visceral energy – both(!) drummers punished their kits trying to extract as much juice as possible and played it smart by avoiding competitive rhythm gymnastics with each other, keeping things nice and simple. That's the nature of visceral art – too much complexity and it pulls the experience out of your guts and stuffs it into your brain, and these guys definitely work hard to keep your belly full of fire.
The songwriting was tight but relied too much on some well-worn clichés (Spice Trader Blues had a ton of kewl Sailor Jerry imagery but ultimately felt hollow, whereas folks such as Colin Meloy and John Darnielle sing like they were actually there). Personality and swivel-hipped vigour were in abundance, and it took care of any shortcomings in lyrical ability.
Tame Impala shuffled out on stage to no intro track, no light show (house lights were still on actually), and no swagger, and this motley collection of young musicians at first blush seemed smaller and younger than their reputation would indicate, and an uninvited sense of reservation crept in. Stories of murky sets with terrible mixes began springing up like mushrooms in my head. Gotta Get Above It is the first cut from their celebrated second album Lonerism, and it's a vigorous song filled with airtight vocal looping and rapid-fire rhythms not unlike dance music. Opening with something that quick and energetic was an excellent move, and when the first sunny power chord burst open, lifting Kevin Parker's Lennon-esque vocals up to the ceiling, it destroyed the idea they were anything but a well-oiled and vigorously maintained machine.
Laser-cut timing is so key to their performance, and Julien Barbagallo on drums was their secret weapon. He was phenomenal, and kept an important sense of discipline and momentum present amid the gorgeous psychedelic walls Parker and the others were busy building up and pulling down. Elephant was easily the standout, and an excellent example of how good they are at fearlessly exploring noise while keeping their eyes on the prize, snapping back into the riff instantly. These guys aren't a fad, they're the real deal. This isn't retro rock, as that implies some level of passivity on their part. They control their sound through cutting-edge musicianship; they know exactly what they're doing and don't owe a damn thing to any scene or movement. Retro rock sounds like them, dammit.
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