Animal Collective - Fox Theater, Oakland, CA, 9/22/12

9.5

Now that all original band members are accounted for, Animal Collective has successfully transitioned into the Centipede Hz era. Nothing solidifies their new direction more than the colorful racket made at the Oakland Theater on Saturday night. Compared to the Merriweather Post Pavilion tour, a thoroughly enjoyable set by 3 DJs, this new batch of shows capture the raw energy only real live instrumentation can provide.

The Collective is at its most vivacious here, curating a set of bangers all dated from 2007 and above. This greatest hits / new material split kept the audience moving for 100 straight minutes. The venue was thankfully loose and the crowd was that rare kind that actually danced to the music. Great vibes were thrown back and forth from performers to audience, the band constantly testing the energy of the bouncing sea of people. This culminated with a trance-like Brothersport that turned into an all-out rave and old favorite Peacebone that tore apart its studio counterpart.

The new material fit right in and really comes alive once the band start to play with individual song elements like sonic Playdough. Animal Collective are one of few bands who truly embrace live experimentation and this was especially clear with Pulleys, which was stretched into a 10-minute spacey burner.

The mixing was very well done, considering the amorphous tendencies of the band. Perfectly complementing the sound was the otherworldly set design. Inflatable cartoon teeth lined the top and bottom of the stage while multicolored spikes surrounded the band. The effect of the band playing inside of a creature's mouth was the closest thing to having a psychedelic trip without taking drugs. All in all, it was an unforgettable night inside the mind of the perpetual motion machine that is Animal Collective.