The reality of seeing a band that you love do a DJ set is that you probably don’t want to see them do a DJ set. I’ve been a fan of MGMT for over a decade, seeing them live 10 years ago was completely moving and I still rate it as one of the best live shows I’ve ever been to. I know artists are allowed to evolve and take up new hobbies, but I don’t know why Palomosa or the artists themselves insist on having awesome artists do DJ sets instead of live performances. Maybe it’s just me and my personal preferences, but not everyone has to be a DJ.
Did I dance? Sure. But there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the music they were playing. I wasn’t able to lose myself in it like I had at the previous sets I had been to.
I know MGMT’s whole thing is that they sort of started as a joke, making incredible music veiled under persistent irony. They became big in the 2010s and the music they played last night did have a sort of LMFAO sheen to it (whether or not they actually played LMFAO, I’m not sure, but you get the point). So maybe they were doing something ironic or working on a vibe that I just didn’t ‘get’. Either way, it was a bit of a disappointing end to the night.
Photo by BIGLAUR Photographie
