Concert Review and Photos: Panda Bear @ Union Transfer
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
We sang along with huge smiles on our faces.
[ 5/17 ] On tour in support of his upcoming album tentatively titled Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear aka one quarter of Animal Collective brought his experimental vibes to Union Transfer Saturday night.
The stage set up was grim, only consisting of his equipment draped with colorful cords and a blank projector screen arranged behind. As Panda Bear took the stage, a montage of nude women rotated on the projector. The set was full of new material; a mixture of orchestral rhythms to more R&B-inspired, up-tempo beats. We were left clueless about song titles,but the show that left me excited for the new album. Just as impressive were the visuals. It was psychedelic, confusing, but equally amazing. From images of gummi worms, sprinkles, nude women, faces, to colorful mixtures, it was a beautiful array of visuals that perfectly matched Panda Bear’s performance.
After a brief break, Panda Bear returned to the stage and asked for requests. He laughed when somebody called for Animal Collective’s “Summertime Clothes.” Instead he dove into “Last Night at the Jetty” — my personal favorite off Tomboy. It appeared it was everyone’s favorite as well; we sang along with huge smiles on our faces.
