Animal Collective and Dan Deacon Live at the Danforth Music Hall

By Daniel Polowin

Fans of psychedelic, electronic, and gloriously weird pop music need to get themselves to the Danforth Music Hall, tomorrow March 9, to see Animal Collective and Dan Deacon.

***UPDATE: Unfortunately, due to a sudden sickness befalling Animal Collective’s lead singer Avey Tare, this show has been postponed to a date that will be announced here.***

Due to its depiction in The Wire, Baltimore may now be more famous for its crime than its music, but throughout its history the city has proved to be a fertile breeding-ground for innovative music in all genres. Animal Collective (or AnCo, as they’re called by their fans) and Dan Deacon are emblematic of Baltimore’s burgeoning weird electronic-pop scene.

Animal Collective has been one of the most influential, prolific, and critically acclaimed bands of the new millennium, releasing eight albums that incorporate remarkably disparate styles and instrumentation. From the freak-folk of Sung Tongs, the psychedelic-rock of Feels, the instant-classic electronic-pop of Merriweather Post Pavilion, to the less-well-received abrasiveness of their latest album Centipede Hz, Animal Collective demonstrate an admirable ability to experiment. Despite their mainstream success, they never rest on their laurels.

Featuring Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies from Avey Tare and Panda Bear (both successful solo musicians in their own right), guitar-work from Deakin, and sound-manipulation from Geologist, Animal Collective concerts are notable for improvisation and tribal, rave-like atmosphere.

Opening for Animal Collective is electronic composer Dan Deacon. Equally prolific, since 2003, Deacon has released eight albums of hyperactive, cacophonous, and danceable pop music. His latest album America, released in August 2012, represents his conflicting emotions about his country. Deacon’s live shows are renowned for audience participation and interaction.

Limited tickets are still available for this show, so come on down to the Danforth Music Hall, and let your inner animal out!