OF MONTREAL @ Irving Plaza – 3/9, 3/10

Athens, GA madman Kevin Barnes and his merry band will be invading the Irving Plaza this weekend and you will have a chance to see a real spectacle of a show. Ever since Barnes virtually hijacked Of Montreal and made it his own, they have gotten considerably weirder than they originally were on their Bar/None releases. In fact, Barnes may very well be the weirdest of the former Elephant 6 consortium and that, my friends, is saying a lot. Case in point, earlier this tour, Barnes’ penis made its on stage debut, much to the chagrin of a Las Vegas crowd. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen again. The eccentricities are not all bad, though. Their newest release on Polyvinyl, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? is a much more mature album in terms of subject matter than their two previous critically acclaimed albums, Satanic Panic in the Attic, and The Sunlandic Twins, but the danceable, upbeat compositions and hyper-intellectual lyrics remain well in tact. We may never know why the bizarre Barnes felt it necessary to whip out his wanker on stage, but it could have just been another Outback Steakhouse advertisement.

RIYL: Olivia Tremor Control, Marshmallow Coast, Apples in Stereo, Elf Power

Of Montreal, Tuesday 9/26, Irving Plaza

I originally decided I wanted to see this show when I saw it posted on the Of Montreal website. I saw Of Montreal at a pool party in Brooklyn and they were, well, awesome! If you like hard working musicians that put out lots of new material. If you like music that has pop melodies, but retains enough variety to keep your attention. If you like musicians that look as good performing as they sound, then Of Montreal may be your kinda thing… Enter the twist: they aren’t headlining.

The main attraction at this show is Jamie Lidell, a multifaceted British performer, who at the same time reminds listeners of Ottis Reading and Jamaroquai. The fact that he draws so many likenesses while still being praised for his unique approach to pop sums up the exotic appeal of this artist. He creates music that is easy to consume, but when given a discerning listen, demonstrates an intelligence seldom found in popular music.

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JAMIE LIDELL w/ Of Montreal, Tuesday 9/26, Irving Plaza

Compared by many to a "21st century Little Richard," Jamie Lidell is a throwback in every sense of the word, while still managing to sound fresh, and not the least bit contrived. And I will say this, if you haven't had a chance to see Lidell in person yet, this dude's a must-see. With long, rambling improvisations and enough energy to knock you back to 1957, Jamie Lidell makes damn sure no one leaves without feeling that SOUL power. While still hugely impressive, his 2005 release, Multiply, doesn't really do his live show justice; you just can't bottle all that soul up into a single Pro Tools session. Just can't be done. That said, Lidell's in New York for one night only at Irving Plaza this Tuesday with Of Montreal. Definitely worth checking out.

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