Tuesday night, I attended a classic sweat-drenched and sold out show at The Bishop. Early in the evening, I detected an absurd synth-rhythm from the bar, and like a lion catching the scent of a gazelle from downwind, I pounced into the venue after my newfound prey. The funk and harmonies emanating from the stage during opener Ava Luna were surreal: like the Dirty Projectors, Talking Heads, and Beck all conceived a wildly eclectic and adorable musical child. The click-pop of the percussion and heady bass laid the foundation for groovy tunes that the entire crowd embraced. The female vocals were dreamy and smooth, while the lead singer emitted high-energy wails. The catchy absurdity of noise was fresh and addicting. I added them to the mental checklist to see again.
As the body count in the establishment began steadily rising, Unknown Mortal Orchestra hit the stage. They played lively music pumped with heavy guitar riffs. The crowd seemed pleased with this duo, swaying to and fro in the dim light. Anticipation rose (along with the room's temperature) as the eager fans waited for Toro Y Moi to chill their brain waves out of their skulls.
Chaz Bundick and his musical marauders entered the stage and proceeded to illuminate the minds of the manic crowd. "New Beat," "Talamak," "Still Sound," and "Elise," to name a few, pumped over the mass of twirling and bobbing bodies. The tunes accompanied by the lava-lamp visualizer inspired erratic movements, the likes of which I hadn't seen since GLOWfest last April. Everyone was in good spirits when Bundick called it a night after their encore performance of "Low Shoulder."
The cherry on top of the sundae is the interview I snagged with the man behind Toro Y Moi. And no, he doesn't drink beer before performing.
Live Buzz: This is your second time back to Bloomington in six months. What draws you back here specifically?
Chaz Bundick: Most small towns don't get a lot of touring bands. I'm from a small town - a college town, at least, and it's nice to visit these kind of towns.
Live Buzz: "Saturday Love" is an '80's remake - my mom noticed that - and a few of your more recent songs seem to sound very influenced by the '80's as well. Is that something your fans can expect more of?
CB: I think right now, yeah. I think people can anticipate the poppier stuff to get poppier and the more psychedelic stuff to get trippier.
Live Buzz: I like the '80's stuff! What can I say? I have to listen to it a lot at work. So you've had three releases in the past 18 months, not to mention your mixtapes. Is that something that fans can anticipate as well? The consistency of those releases?
CB: I think yeah, for sure. Maybe not exactly releases, but things I'm associated with.
Live Buzz: Well, specifically your mixtapes and such...
CB: I'll be taking some breaks.
Live Buzz: So you might retire? Move to Florida?
CB: (Laughs) Yeah, definitely! No, I'll just need a second to catch my breath.
Live Buzz: That's cool - you need to do that sometimes. So what was your favorite album from 2011?
CB: Kanye West's [My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy].
Live Buzz: That was a solid album - gotta love "POWER." Well, is there anything that you'd like to say to your Bloomington fans?
CB: Thanks for being supportive. From Greek's Pizza to here, awesome crowd tonight.
Post by Rachel Hanley; Photography by Steven Arroyo
