Of Montreal live in Knoxville, TN with special guest Locate s, 1 on March 13, 2022.
Review by: Destiny
Photos by: Ash
This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending a show at the historic Bijou Theatre in my city for the first time ever. Indie, psychedelic pop group, of Montreal, made the stop on their current tour throughout the east coast.
In all honesty, I had no idea what I was about to witness when I sat down in the classy, historic venue and noticed a very much contrasting crowd begin to surround me. Fans flooded the aisles and donned colorful hair, sequined dresses, funky shoes, and more. Many were giddy with excitement.
There was one opener, Locate S,1, whose sound combined jazz, indie, pop, jazz, and a bit of rock. The set lasted over 30 minutes and was thoroughly enjoyable. The name behind Locate S,1, Christina Schneider, interacted adorably with the crowd and they matched her energy in return, becoming more and more excited for the main event.
After a brief intermission, a red, body-suited figure appeared and the band that backed Locate S,1 returned to their instruments. An interesting, almost cult-like monologue got the crowd immediately on their feet, screaming with joy and excitement. The figure exited after introducing Kevin Barnes, the voice of of Montreal, and the fun really began.
Sporting a black and white jester-type dress, Barnes picked up a guitar and they jumped right into the jams which were all equally upbeat and groovy. Their sound absolutely mimics that of 1960s psychedelic rock, and I was totally there for it. Random characters would appear during some of the songs and the stage (and crowd) would erupt into wild dancing and laughter. People beside me were even attempting to get to me to participate in starting “The Wave”.
I’m not normally one to go to these types of shows, and that makes my job writing for this publication so fun. Overall, of Montreal put on an incredibly enjoyable show and they know how to pump up their fans and deliver what they came to see and then some. I feel that with their growing success, their on-stage presence will become even more elaborate and professional. I may find myself at another one of their gigs in the future.
OF MONTREAL
of Montreal is an American indie pop band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontperson Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance between Barnes and a woman “of Montreal.” The band is identified as part of the Elephant 6 collective. Throughout its existence, of Montreal’s musical style has evolved considerably and drawn inspiration from 1960s psychedelic pop acts.
Wikipedia
LOCATE S,1
Christina Schneider dedicated her life to creating subversive, genre-fluid pop music. Working under various aliases since 2014 — including CE Schneider Topical, Jepeto Solutions, Christina Schneider’s Genius Grant and now Locate S,1 — she’s explored everything from groovy garage rock to minimalist bedroom pop to Syd Barrett-style psychedelia.
captured tracks
Photos by:
Ash
