Tame Impala @ Bowery Ballroom: All Rapt

Britt Lundborg reports: Last night, Tame Impala wowed a very sold out crowd. A completely unassuming group of Aussie boys, they seriously let it rip and commanded our attention. Though lead singer, Kevin Parker, gripped his throat throughout the set due to his strained voice, no one could complain about the band’s gripping presence. 3 out of 4 were barefoot which amplified the band’s old school feel, like this was just some intimate bonfire-side show. Dusty hippies, eh?

Coupled with a stellar projector show of squiggles that danced to Parker’s riffs, the band completely blew everyone’s collective wig off with grinding guitar squeals and hardened, rhythmic percussion. Before the band even hit the stage, a good heavy cloud of weed smoke hung in the air and when they began playing the cloud only increased. Not exactly condoned by management, the weed smoke played in the atmosphere and felt exactly right for this band’s Doors like swirling sonic grooves.

Had Parker’s voice been in perfect form, no one would have noticed. Lyrics are back-benched here in favor of psychedelic washes of sound. There was a wall of finely controlled squall that held us all rapt. It felt like it emanated from another time long ago – a good forty years. How strangely refreshing. And they seemed genuinely pleased to be playing for a New York crowd who loved them right back.

Tame Impala recently dropped by Daytrotter.

MP3: Tame Impala – Lucidity (Pilooski Mix)