Au was super at Monkeytown; photos
Download “We Are Animals” | There isn’t really any standing room at Monkeytown; the performance space is like someone’s spacious living room. It’s a nice square, at least, with video projections on all four walls, all along which guests seat themselves either on low canvas couches or spare chairs, and dinner and drinks can be had on the slim, low tables that you’ll share with few other guests if you’re a party of less than 4. The performance takes place at the center of this room, sans stage, and coupled with the proximity to the artist and a very low capacity, it makes for a unique “concert-going” experience.
Being a collective, Portland’s Au is mostly a big band that should be expected to vary in tour-size. Last night they played as a duo, consisting of the amazing Dana Vlatka on drums and founder Luke Wyland on everything else (keyboards plus gadgetry). At first I worried, as I worry with every Broken Social Scene show, “Where are the girl singers?”. But within the first song, I made two notes: (1) go see Au again at Spiegeltent on September 29th, opening for the Dodos (2) recommend everyone else to do so.
All photos and review continued after the jump.
