2/17/2007: Of Montreal w/ Elekibass - Houston, TX

Back in the day when The Beatles took on Ed Sullivan and the rest of the continent, people were instantly captivated, and a love affair with a nation began. In many ways, that love continues to this day with many Americans citing The Beatles as the greatest band ever without hesitation. In much the same way as The Beatles came on the scene, Elekibass is going to take this country by storm. Not on the same scale, but slowly, club by club, this amazing rock n roll band from Tokyo, Japan will captivate the hearts of Americans willing to overlook a slight butchering of the English language. Their music is eclectic, ranging from odd ragtimey pop music to a high energy rock sound like The Rolling Stones. But the comparison does not end there. This great band has their act down, charming their audience from the get go by ply playing their instruments acoustically as they march through the crowd on the way to the stage. The lead singer prances around like Jagger and syncopates his movements with every guitar hit. They end their final song, say "Thank You," when met with applause, say "One more time" and play the chorus of their song again. Then they repeat that about four times, each time met with more smiles and laughter. And on the final "one more time" they play an entirely different song. They charm you, and if the world were a right and just place, they will explode across this nation like a plague...an awesome, awesome, plague.

Of Montreal hit the stage later, once again bringing their unique electro/indie pop sound to a more-than-eager audience. And once again they did it flawlessly. It never ceases to amaze me how the band can take Kevin Barnes' complex arrangements and play them as if they were their own. As it turns out, all that money they made from the Outback Steakhouse commercial went to some good use. Awesome, flamboyant costumes, lots of cool lighting, and three projector screens are the obvious result of a little "selling out" on the band's part. Though it was clear from the visuals displayed on the screens were the result of a still-limited budget. Overall, the music was great and their new songs sounded fantastic live, especially "She's a Rejector." As always, if you've never seen this band live, you are missing out. There are only two artists that I've ever seen more than once, and Of Montreal is one of those bands. There's a reason for that. They consistently put on great performances. I guess that's what happens when you tour non-stop.