While Miike Snow should be familiar to you, URB reader, I was very surprised to see that it was also familiar to the rest of the hipster-mainstream hybrid subculture—that is, the sometimes-overbearing Hollywood scene. Going to this show, I expected to be greeted with a different kind of crowd (not sure exactly which) but I was greeted with people ready for the club (there were also some on the margins ready for the rave as well). While this by no means had an effect on Miike Snow’s performance, it’s an interesting point of note as it describes the atmosphere of the venue, pointing out the secondary effects of the experience of live music in a shared environment with a particular slice of the Southern California population. It also works well as a provocative introduction.
While I did not pay very much attention to the opening act, people I spoke to after the show described their performance as enjoyable, as they provided some interesting covers and interpretations of tracks through their Ratatat-esque instrumentation. Sounds good to me. Let’s move on. (Oh and check out the following pictures!)
Miike Snow’s set started with the phenomenal (and arguably most catchy and also my favorite) tune “Cult Logic,” a great beginning to their drawn out opening which pissed some of their inpatient yet devout and pious followers. They began with this slightly reworked version of “Cult Logic” with extended instrumental segments, setting the tone and rhythm of the show that was about to unfold. Their on-stage presence was fantastic and smoky—the fog machine ran on constantly—shrouding the performers in a colorful misty aura (aesthetically cohesive with the palette established by the album art and record booklet) while they furiously and actively moved in the shadows which paralleled the dances of the mass. Working through their (still small) body of work, with elaborate stage design, they performed what had been objectively made on a laptop through their elaborate gizmos and gadgets to, obviously, evoke a sense of performance and of eventfulness. It worked. MIDI controllers are truly brilliant devices.
Towards the end of the show after “Burial,” “Plastic Jungle” and the infectious “Sylvia,” the band ended their main set and hinted towards their encore which, from the audience standpoint, created lots of anticipation as the title track “Animal” or “In Search of” had yet to be played. Their encore ‘break’ was extended due to what looked to be complications with a keyboard device that cut their show down significantly. Upon their return, they apologized and proceeded to jam through “In Search of” (featured and perhaps made popular to some of the people at this show via EA Sports’ venerable videogame FIFA 10) and a medley of some of the songs they would have to miss performing in full. This was exceptionally well done. With the fog machine still on max and clever lighting pulsating throughout the chamber of the Wiltern, “In Search of” was welcomed by the sing-along crowds and also the frenetic chaos of the (drunken) rest.
For the most part, the show felt somewhat short and there was visible disappointment and disgust by people when the show ended a bit after midnight. Some of them referred back to their Coachella show where they performed every single song from their catalogue and had a much more energetic vibe throughout. I consoled them a bit by letting them know that shows at the Wiltern are always cut short because some rules and regulations. Plus, the opening acts usually cut a few minutes into the headliner’s set anyway. While this soothed some of the angrier folks who were visibly ready to get down on the dance floor, they were still content and satisfied by the dynamism of the performance and the veritable effort the lads put into their stage show. As always, logistics and technical difficulties tend to ruin fun things. Granted, while these things hampered the overall feeling that lingered on after the show’s end, it’s not their fault and they shouldn’t suffer for it. What they gave Los Angeles was great, and I’d definitely go check them out again.
PS: Thanks to Vanessa (the true photographer) for tagging along!
Leave A Comment!