Of Montreal @ Lolla 8/7/9

Going to grad school in the hometown of Polyvinyl, I got to see Of Montreal nearly every other week (Polyvinyl still owes me a big box of albums that I ordered nearly 2 months ago, BTW). Which was good and bad. Of Montreal is a fun live act, but they're also a little full of themselves. They continue to add the schtick each time I see them, and their performance at Lolla was truly over-the-top with numerous costumed dancers and flamboyant outfits. It adds to the aesthetic, sure, but I've never really been all that clear on what the attempted aesthetic is, exactly. It's like a dumbed-down, less tongue-in-cheek rendition of Flaming Lips. Which is not to say that the music is dumbed-down, because it isn't. Oh no, it's way heady stuff, with tracks like "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse". See, can't you tell how intellectual they are? The saving grace with this band is that they're catchy, the keyboardist actually looks like she's enjoying herself and seems appreciative of the fan base, and they don't think themselves too good to play Canopy Club in Urbana, Illinois every other Tuesday evening. At least not yet.

C-