My Love Affair with Of Montreal

Wow. Shit. I don't even know where to begin. I can tell you where I am going to end and that is at the AMAZING show tonight at the Palladium. So, yes.....as suggested by the title of the entry, I went to see my favorites. I think I jumped on the Of Montreal bandwagon around 2005. They have been a staple in my music rotation since. They even uplifted my spirits on Valentine's Day 2006 when then current boyfriend was on a moral high horse about "not celebrating" v-day. That is another story altogether, but well, O.M. improved what was a pretty shitty day. Needless to say, I have an affinity with the band.

When I heard that the band was coming through L.A., I was stoked. I was a bit nervous though because I have had the luxury of seeing them twice in Tucson at the Rialto. Awesome venue, small, charming, the polar opposite of a venue here. I knew the Hollywood show was going to be packed. My hunch was confirmed when I saw the throngs of fans strolling down Sunset. We settled ourselves in the line and made our way inside. Once in, we settled on the balcony in a fairly good spot. Clung to it. Guarded it. Secured it. O.M. took the stage around 10:45 and played solidly til 12:30. It was KILLER. Guns that shoot feathers, animal heads, giant arms and legs, creepy dancers, giant fanny packs, roller skaters, beach volleyball, centaurs, fauns, you name it, it was on stage in some form of costume or another. The finale was a surprise. Two covers: Take Me Out by Franz Ferdinand and Smells Like Teen Spirit. The show had been dubbed by local radio as being Los Angeles' ULTIMATE dance party and, well, it lived up to it. Yes it was packed. And crazy. And so full of fun and energy. From the top, we could see the entire crowd dancing below and a border of dancers upstairs. 2 hours. Non stop moving. Best show I could have anticipated.