ARTICLE BY JAMIE SKOWRON
PHOTO BY VERONICA MUNOZ
AUG. 29 | HOLLYWOOD—KCRW’s seasonal concert series wound down from its successful summer with Jason Bentley set to host tonight’s musical undertakings. In spite of the overbearing presence of daylight, the eight dancers and eight band members who make up Yacht were able to connect to the early-bird crowd at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl. On this beautiful night, an ’80s-brand nostalgia laid the tracks for tonight’s sonic journey, which started with a percussion section, semi-choreographed dancing, and conversation–like vocals.
Taking us further down that road were electro-pop stars Chromeo, who jumpstarted echoes in the mountain with a thrilling homage to ’80s pop music and Daft Punk. The duo’s grooving energy battled with the sun until about three songs in, when their frequencies seemed to “two-step” the burning star into submission. Accompanied by three background singers and two pairs of prosthetic legs, Chromeo finalized the mood for the remainder of the night, igniting the beat among even the far-reaching outskirts of the night’s demographics. Songs such as “Fancy Footwork,” “Bonafide Lovin,” and “Mama’s Boy” held the audience’s attention and purged the chemically vulnerable minds into a more uncomfortable place than sobriety.
Keeping the spirit of the night alive, Mr. Bentley introduced The Chemical Brothers to the packed Bowl. Following the success of the first two bands, the energetic fans were even more eager for the main act. Opening the set with “Galvanize,” off of Push the Button, The Chemical Brothers separated the mind from the body even further by egging on insanity with the subliminal drones, “Don’t...Hold...Back....” As the night’s energy fused into a beast of treble and bass, it became very clear which individuals had a little help from ecstasy or psilocybin to get “to the other-side.”
Just as impressive as the music was the visual media, which included a mind-numbing arsenal stocked with neon green lasers, gigantic fog machines, three enormous digital picture screens, and a vast array of other lights. Together, these factors created a stunning illusory environment with multitudes of enigmatic storyboard-like designs that metaphorically linked to the evolution of human life. To keep the mushy minds attentive, The Chemical Brothers periodically flashed creepy images of demonic shamans and glow-in-the-dark painted tribal faces, amidst more friendly images of dancing robots.
These electronic titans have always been famous for their incredible manipulation of visual and audio stimulation—it’s as though they pull your mind and emotions like the strings of a puppet. Every minute on the time continuum seems transfixed to a loop on the sonic highway, creating a magical new world for exploration. There are very few artists who contain this spiritual power of touching the wandering minds of so many individuals, and the pristine, natural setting of the Hollywood Bowl provided a perfect launch-pad to soar off into Earth’s wavelength and ignore the dissonance of societal integration.
It was an amazing night to say the least. Sonic & visual journey indeeeeed.
Posted by: sasha | Sep 27, 2010 at 10:43 AM