Of Montreal - "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal" | NPR MUSIC LIVE

Watch the full concert here: www.npr.org/event/music/151272...
The Athens, Ga., rock group Of Montreal has built its reputation on wildly theatrical live performances. Sprung from the twisted imagination of flamboyant frontman Kevin Barnes, the band's shows include elaborate costumes and stage sets, synchronized dancing and massive bursts of psychedelic lighting effects.
For Of Montreal's latest album, Paralytic Stalks, Barnes and his bandmates call their tour and stage show "hallucinatory and transportive," with more than a dozen projection screens and strange, wandering creatures that look like amoebas. You can watch the spectacle unfold in this concert, recorded live from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on April 3.
Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Robin Hilton
Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait
Videographers: Becky Lettenberger, Doriane Raiman
Production Assistants: Mike Katzif, John Rose
Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins

[@w5winston]

if you have never seen these guys live...this is the song.

[@U2andColdplayFan]

w5winston I haven't gotten into them yet, but I'm definitely getting some Arcade Fire vibes from this

[@tylerhowell1009]

+Telecaster Magician Yea they do share a lot of similarities. I prefer of Montreal much more, but I still love AF. of Montreal feels much more genuine to me.

[@U2andColdplayFan]

Tyler Howell I'd definitely say they are way more experimental, that and they've been around quite a bit longer

[@filipeadao3536]

The only song.

[@LittleDinkens]

i went during the Janelle Monae tour ... i dont think they played this.... Their live show is incredible.... Huge paper mache statues and dancers.... prob best concert of all times!!!

[@rabidrabbits567]

Finally getting to see this song live was one of the most beautiful and upsetting moments of my life.

[@michaelfindley1262]

Brings a tear to my eye every time

[@ianheimbigner2547]

Amazing performance. Such a talented band. Kevin Barnes you are my favorite frontman i cant get enough.

[@editrrix]

They are so on fire right now and this tour is unbelievable. That sax. It's perfect. The whole thing, the raw vocals, the projections, the line-up. This tour is not to be missed.

[@chicananerd]

"but at least i author my own disaster..."

[@oscyppo]

Everybodys gangsta until these fuckers start to play this epic song

[@bkowa0921]

One of the best songs ever. Who's watching in 2021?!

[@user-hs5ud2cu3g]

I hope to see them live

[@softcorevideosforhardcorep4246]

2023, best thursday evening watching this

[@MasonBiamonte]

here in 2024

[@rwhopkins999]

The song just doesn’t die

[@dalekay9ine]

2024! One of my all time favorite songs. Love the contrast of the slightly happy major key music with the insanely dark, dark lyrics. Hits home way more than it should.

[@SuckaFree213]

LOVE this song! Thank you NPR for bringing back into my life. I haven't listened to Of Montreal in a while :D

[@ButNotTonight]

I'm speechless. This is incredible beyond words.

[@lynni3nyc863]

The story of the eye

[@zsantschi]

Saw them a couple of years ago. It was a great show with puppets and confetti and drama... But it's nice to see them play like this... rock n' roll.

[@ClaudeFrank]

this sure is different from their show i saw there a couple years ago. I like it.

[@chrissy1605]

I love Of Montreal!

[@bkowa0921]

I love you.

[@antislug]

yes!

[@Lezdoval]

De huevos esos sonidos 😍 saludos desde México

[@joshuapocalypse]

GREAT LYRICS! FUCKING LOVE IT!

[@MsDaydreaming]

Who said there were no more epic songs

[@MyLifeBeforeYou]

Just fucking awesome.

[@PartVIII]

Things could be different, but they're not.

[@midori4887]

What if I told you that all of my secrets are physical

[@jpippinator]

RAW ASS MUSIC

[@howamilooking5952]

I need you here and not here too. How can I explain?

[@CarlosGLeonIb]

EEEEEEEEEEEPIC

[@blarghblargh]

I don't know how all their live stuff sounds, but this particular delivery feels *so* Smashing Pumpkins (well, sans Chamberlin) -

[@paulw9101]

2023🎶🎶

[@pst382436]

The Cure"...ish NICE

[@venturae]

things could be different, but they're not..

[@stolenrims]

I wish the instrumentation was a little more punchy. Love this song, but the sound tech isn't as good as I'd like it to be. Everything has a muffled feeling. Maybe it's the recording, I don't know. Either way this song is great.

[@EyMeng]

to me it sounds a lot better than most modern live recordings. i like the drums, they sound like 70s drums and not like nu metal drums.

[@yoblackmama]

EyMeng Nu Metal? what is this, 1999?

[@EyMeng]

Brian Bernhardt sound techs seem to think it still is...

[@GoatDust]

EyMeng they sounded more 80s to me

[@jamesbrough3464]

sound to me is absolutely brilliant. Great mix, sensitive fader rides, drums unpretentious, main vocal which is naturally harsh around the 2 and 5k area well controlled while keeping voice authentic. If you listen to the actual parts, what you are after is not a sound tech issue. Too often I read live sound techs getting blamed for things that are not them. Poor old sound techs

[@brazilianretarded3845]

And who will forgive our sins!?

[@KongSaci]

chá de cogú

[@NotoriousNME]

7:35 .. you're welcome

[@christerpettersson5750]

we don`t skip anything

[@FreeThink1984]

sorry i rather not skip past any of it...

[@cableman122]

worst effing crowd.