You have to know what you're getting into with a Panda Bear solo show. The Portuguese-domiciled Animal Collective man sticks to his mic and tray of knobs and buttons: no instruments, no Geologist-style head whips, no ursine embellishments. But if you're okay with that relatively static live music experience, Noah's set was unexpectedly mesmerizing. Hopes for a perfect sync went out the window when a huge blue "Sony DVD" logo popped up on the stage's rear projector (met with snarky cheers and "Nice!" yells from the crowd), but once Panda pressed play and the visuals met the sweet po-mo Beach Boys sounds of Person Pitch, the following hour was a seamlessly trippy A/V treat.
"I don't want for us to take pills, anymore / Not that it's bad / I feel stronger ... we don't need 'em" is the no-judgments morale of Noah's Person al story, and Saturday's Bowery set was his proof; no need to go to the altered state of Drugachusetts when you can see a hundred and one Jesus heads moaning; eye-masked aboriginal dancers hair-whipping; or a collage of hands, mouths and limbs melting to a carefully curated beat-beefed soundtrack without seeing Hallucinjenny. Really, it was a night to enjoy Noah's outstanding LP with an added dimension and a little more muscle in the rhythm ("Good Girls/Carrots" was a prime example, the digi-tablas deafening, superseded by "Carrots"piano-pedal massive attack). And on top of Panda's Pitch, we got a slowed-take on Strawberry jam "Chores" and our requisite David Byrne sighting. To paraphrase the mayor, we declare this show to be ... awesome! Couple more pics after the jump.
