nonbelief:

Tonight, I truly believe I attended what has ultimately been, at this point, the most unique and insightful musical performances I’ve witnessed all year.  Based on what others have posted, it seems as though the feedback is evenly split between negative and positive.  If you directly compare it to MGMT’s Guggenheim performances from last year, there’s no doubt the bar will not have been reached.  But, this wasn’t Guggenheim.  And, this wasn’t a preview of their material for their third album, either.  This was a piece of art created for the Joshua Light Show, and it was a brilliantly produced collaboration between two artists who clearly understand the true meaning behind Joshua White’s creation.  There are no two musical artists better suited for this production than Ben and Andrew.

It was a space opera, plain and simple.  It was psychedelic, it was wacky, it was mysterious.  The lights ranged from ethereal and calming to violent and haunting, and you were hypnotized by both the music and the scenery.  Everything flooded against the dark backdrop of the auditorium, and you fell into a realm of make-believe, where flashes of light characterized your emotions and chords and notes spoke your soul’s depth.

What struck me as most curious is that fact the 7:30 performance and the 10 o’clock performance were completely different.  Were the performances partially improvised?  The eye-contact and silent communication between Ben and Andrew tells me that, yes, a vast majority was certainly improvised.  There honestly weren’t many similarities you could draw between the two shows.  The first performance was subdued and mellow.  It felt more drawn back and, perhaps, sad.  The second performance was lively and frantic; a collection of many different moods.  It was everywhere from upbeat and buoyant to dark and outright sinister. 

However, whether the shows were improvised or not, I almost feel as though the contrast between the two performances was intentional.  Given how superficial and demanding the early crowd was, I wouldn’t put it past Ben and Andrew to have intentionally sabotaged their first performance by making it as removed from what that particular crowd clearly expected and wanted.  The early performance brought in the young crowd, the same type of kiddos who bombarded Andrew before and after his City Winery gig.  This is what happens when you have an all-age MGMT event that runs before 9 p.m. 

Is this pretentious and bitchy of me to point out?  Yeah, maybe.  Do I care?  No—because it’s true.  The 7:30 crowd didn’t want to be engrossed by a psychedelic kaleidoscope of mayhem and bizarre thrills.  They wanted “Kids,” and they wanted Andrew’s autograph.  Believe me, I overhead far more conversations than I wanted, and it was nothing more than a parade of shallow bashing regarding Congratulations and how the band needs to wear headbands again.  What’s even more depressing is that I was sitting next to an older gentleman, who had brought his young daughter to the show, and he fell asleep during the performance!  Completely asleep.  It was insulting and so very offensive.  If the first performance is criticized for being a singular stretch of repetition and weariness, perhaps this is why.  Ben and Andrew know when a crowd is feeling it, and they know when they’re playing for empty shells.

Thankfully, the second crowd was redeeming.  It was a compilation of an older “museum-types,” as well as NYU students.  A contrast amongst itself, this crowd was at least responsive.  Perhaps they weren’t diehard MGMT fans, but they appreciated what they were watching, and they were attentive and cordial and fun.  I think they even understood it.

The energy of the second performance was nearly explosive.  Ben and Andrew were dedicated to the frenzy and, behind them, the visuals detonated with green flares and yellow beams.  The darker sections of their composition were accompanied by a menacing red flood, like trickles of blood put under surveillance by a scientist and his overused microscope.  Before anything became too melancholy, a blue crash of waves rescued you, and the performance closed with a soft dim to black. It was beautiful.  Simply beautiful.

Despite the differences in the actual performances, both could’ve very well been the soundtrack to an Alejandro Jodorowsky film, and I loved that.  The visuals were a conscious match to the music, and it grabbed you in and reminded you there was a narrative.  There was destruction and chaos within the story.  There was beauty and serenity.  War and peace; energy and defeat.  Who could not love such elements, being displayed before them in the most creative manner possible?  Ben and Andrew are geniuses in their craft, and their ability to work with one another—with silent proficiency and expertise—will forever remind me why their partnership is so magical, and (amongst so many other reasons!) why it sets MGMT apart from other bands.

Once again, these two incredibly talented men have astonished me.  After all these years, they still manage to make my heart and soul soar; they still manage to transport me into an innovative, mystical world, and I’ll never forget these two performances.  Never.

lofichick:

• Bluest Band (Forest Elf) - Also Known As Track # 1
• Hsu R U -  ? ? ? 
• I Am Not Your Home (Spooky Tritone) - Also Known As Track # 5

These aren’t official but it’s the only mention of song titles I have ever seen Source and Download