Review: Animal Collective @ Bowery

We’d like to extend a hearty welcome to Noah Perabo. Noah, our newest contributor, loves a wide range of music and he’ll be writing reviews and features for us once in a while. Welcome aboard, Noah!

With message boards buzzing for months prior to its release, listening parties at record stores nationwide, a full page story in the NY Times and a sold-out release week tour, Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion became the most anticipated indie release since Radiohead’s In Rainbows in 2007.

After spinning the more accessible sound of the new album for weeks, New York City was ready to hear the songs performed live. And last night at the Bowery Ballroom, Animal Collective did not disappoint.

The band took the stage and began what was to become a 90 minute whirlwind of sounds that washed over the crowd.  They opened with the vocal harmonies of Also Frightened and the crowd favorite My Girls (two songs from the new album) then broke into Blue Sky, a yet-to-be-released song that’s recently surfaced online.  While the crowd responded enthusiastically to the new songs throughout the set, the shining moments came during two old ones.  Leaf House layered tripped out vocals over jungle percussion while Fireworks featured tribal chants, an extended jam and the driving drums of Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear).

The set closed with Brothersport, another powerful new song that left the crowd stomping the dance floor in anticipation for more.  The two song encore was a snapshot of the entire set opening with a psychedelic take on Winter’s Love and closing with the uplifting chants of Panda Bear’s Comfy in Nautica.

Animal Collective will play New York City again on May 13 at Terminal 5. Tickets are on-sale Friday (1/23) at noon.

Setlist: Also Frightened, My Girls, Blue Sky, Slippi, Leaf House, Summertime Clothes, Guys Eyes, Fireworks, Lion in a Coma, Brothersport

Encore: Winter’s Love, Comfy in Nautica

• Previously on HT: Animal Collective Hit The Road, Hard
• NYCTaper: Animal Collective @ Grand Ballroom