Animal Collective And Danny Perez Took Over The Guggenheim - Pictures, Review

Tonight at the Guggenheim the members of Animal Collective, along with video artist Danny Perez, took over the entire museum from head to toe. Obviously there was more than a little interest, as a last minute afternoon show was added, and the evening show was packed to capacity. And with good reason: Animal Collective have been pushing artistic boundaries for years now, and this latest site specific installation promised to be another compelling instance of their creative craftsmanship.

To start with, it's important to note that the event was not a concert. Rather, it was a site specific installation that included audio, projected video, and sculpture. While there were times when the audio sounded slightly as though it could have been from Animal Collective's most experimental moments, for the most part it was a largely ambient and generative audio experience. Speakers were placed throughout the space, and mixed to give the feeling of a transient, enveloping soundscape.

The sculptures were contained on the first floor rotunda, and were host to three costumed players, who we're guessing were the members of Animal Collective. The sculpture included mounds with lit reflective "eyes", and a central platform of inverted "icicles". The three players, looking like a bizarre cross between Bib Fortuna and a hooded organization we'd rather not name, stood on top of the mounds and made slight movements throughout the evening. At the rear of the rotunda was a larger mound that served as a recipient for projected images.

And those images are what made up the remainder of the installation. Not just on the rotunda mound, mind you, but spanning the entire museum from floor to ceiling. The projections ranged in the clarity of their pattern, but generally consisted of abstract colors and patterns that played well over the space and its occupants. In fact, one of the most fascinating parts of the evening was gradually taking note of how the light played off of the Guggenheim's unique architecture.

While we're not exactly sure if tonight's event had a particular artistic bent, we will say this: it worked. The acoustics were fantastic, the video yielded a unique and beautiful interpretation of the museum's architecture, and the audio/sculpture combination allowed for the interpretation of the bizarre for which Animal Collective has become known. What's more, the event attracted an incredibly diverse crowd, with attendees ranging from couples in cocktail-wear to kids in full on face paint. Suffice it to say, such artistic endeavors by rock bands are not only something we highly approve of, but something we'd like to see a lot more of in the future. Well played.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

Animal Collective To Deliver Site-Specific Work At The Guggenheim

Animal Collective at The Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

To say this should be interesting would be, well, an understatement: on March 4th, Animal Collective will be delivering a "site specific" work at the Guggenheim, in collaboration with Danny Perez that will render the museum into a "kinetic, psychedelic environment". No, we don't have any idea what that means either, but we're guessing that it'll be pretty damn unique, and entirely worth your time. Given the AC's popularity as of late, it probably would behoove you to snag your admission credentials sooner rather than later. You have been warned.

Tickets are on sale now.

mp3: Animal Collective - My Girls

Julian Plenti (Paul Banks) Played The Guggenheim - Pictures, Review, Setlist

On Friday night we stopped in at the Guggenheim for the second in the museum's "It Came From Brooklyn" concert series. This time around, the main event was Paul Banks' solo project Julian Plenti, with a solid dose of comedic input from MC Eugene Mirman.

Mirman, who we hadn't seen since his show with John Wesley Harding, was in typically solid form. While the gig was a bit non-standard (lots of short bits between the other acts), Mirman delivered a solid take on his usual routine. One highlight included a "bouncer audition" in which Mirman convinces an English bouncer to recite ridiculous one liners.

Banks took to the stage around 10:30, with a band significantly larger than his usual four piece. In addition to Banks on guitar, there was an additional guitarist, bass, drums, and a three piece string section. The mix of instrumentation served to flesh out the sound, and moreover it served as a solid foundation for the atmospheric sound of Julian Plenti.

And really, that was the big question of the night: How would Banks' set away from his Interpol band mates shape up? Well the simple answer is "quite well", but we'll give you a bit more than that. Banks maintained his trademark monotone vocal style, but the overall vibe of the show was completely different. Not only was Banks talking between songs and smiling for much of the set, but the feel of the show was one of a band enjoying themselves and not being afraid to show it.

One of the more interesting points of the evening was Banks' choice of covers. They included America's "Horse With No Name" and the Pixies B-Side "Into The White". In short, not exactly what you might have expected. That being said, both tunes actually played out extremely well, and served to underscore a set that undeniably confirmed there is a whole other side to Paul Banks, and that side is Julian Plenti.

Setlist here
More pictures at the HAD Archive

It Came From Brooklyn: High Places And The Walkmen Played The Guggenheim - Pictures, Review

On Friday night, HAD stopped in at the Guggenheim for the first installment in their "It Came From Brooklyn" series. The series, which is part of the celebration of the museum's fiftieth anniversary, attempts to bring Manhattanites and solid dose of Brooklyn's always-expanding cultural scene. While we headed to the gig for the music, it was a unique event that managed to mix rock music with a poetry reading, a marching band, and stand up comedy. Needless to say, it was an interesting evening.

The Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band started off the evening, and gave a solid performance in classic marching-band style. It was fun to see the band juxtaposed against the Guggenheim's ramps, and the band were clearly having fun themselves. The music was upbeat and provided the perfect stimulus to get the evening going.

When High Places followed the Steppers, it was with music of a vastly different character. The Places' subtle brand of almost-ambient tunage is definitely one that we dig, and so we were curious to see how they would pull it off in a live environment - especially one as unique as The Guggenheum. Unfortunately, it wasn't as well suited as we would have liked.

The duo's set was unquestionably interesting, challenging, and diverse. But a combination of factors, ranging from the size of the space to muddy acoustics, left us feeling like we hadn't seen the band at their best. Make no mistake: the set definitely peaked our interest and had us giving their record a spin when we got home, it just seemed like the space wasn't ideal for what their show has to offer.

By stark contrast, The Walkmen fit the Guggenheim's rotunda like a glove. The band's already boomy, reverb laden sound was made more expansive by the large hall, and the crowd was rapt with attention for what was actually a pretty mellow set from the band.

Maybe it was the venue, maybe it was the type of event, or maybe it was just the feel of the evening. Whatever the reason, it was one of the more chilled out and atmospheric sets we've heard from The Walkmen in a long time. Much of the setlist was culled from the band's quieter material, and if one could classify any of the band's songs as "hits", they were all in absentia.

In many ways, that atmosphere made the set all that much more interesting, and really offered up a lot of what makes The Walkmen a relevant artistic force. Not only that, but the band was in top form and sounded fantastic. In particular, Hamilton Leithauser's voice was in top notch form, and sounded fantastic in the large room.

At the end of the night, we have to say we walked away pretty satisfied. While "It Came From Brooklyn" isn't exactly a cheap ticket, it also offers a whole lot more in terms of giving you a full evening, with multiple notable acts. What's more, it's in one of the finest spaces in the city, which, we must say, is also a really fun place to see a rock show.

It Came From Brooklyn Continues on September 25th with Julian Plenti headlining.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive