Tame Impala 101 -By Nora Markham
Tame Impala is an Australian psychedelic rock band formed in 2007, who I, along with my friend Breana del Gatto, had the pleasure of seeing live on October 7th at Terminal 5 in Manhattan. Interestingly, the group began as a solo project by Kevin Parker, who writes, records, and produces the music. However, when Tame Impala plays live concerts, Parker enlists the help of his friends, Jay Watson, Dominic Simper, Cam Avery, and Julien Barbagallo to create absolute magic on the stage.
Tame Impala’s three albums, chronologically from left to right, Innerspeaker, Lonerism, and Currents
Tame Impala’s first two albums, Innerspeaker (released in 2010) and Lonerism (released in 2012) generally are classified as “psychedelic rock”, a genre that, in the past few years, has been making an impressive comeback. Their new album, titled Currents, was released in July of this year and is notably more “pop” sounding than the first two. Innerspeaker and Lonerism’s intense guitar and heavy drums are replaced with more synth and trippy sound editing in Currents that emphasize the sincerity of Parker’s more personal lyrics. Currents has received mostly positive reviews, praising Parker for his creativity and ability to experiment with a new sound. Despite this, some fans were disappointed in the album due to the change that, to them, felt like “too much pop” and not enough of the iconic drums and guitar that have earned the band comparisons to The Beatles.
Personally, I love Currents. Its hypnotizing melodies and happier lyrics than the previous albums had make it the perfect record to put on shuffle when you’re doing homework, going for a drive, or just looking to chill out and get lost in the music.
While Tame Impala’s music is wonderful on its own, seeing them live was absolutely incredible. Breana and I tried to contain our excitement on the Uber over to Terminal 5 from Grand Central. We arrived, waited in a snaking line, and were finally admitted to the venue for the 8pm show. As we filed in and I looked around, I was surprised to find that we were on the younger side of people in the crowd. Many people in their 20’s, 30’s, and even a few couples who look liked they were in their 40’s were in the audience. At around 9, Tame Impala’s opening act, LA Priest, came on. I had never heard of him, but now, weeks after the concert, I have his album on repeat. LA Priest (pronounced Lah Preest) is the solo project of British electronic musician Samuel Eastgate, who has also worked under the name Sam Dust. His music evokes the pop spirit found in music by Artists like Prince and Apex Twin combined with unique sounding-bass and an indescribable vibe. For those curious about him, I suggest listening to his songs “Oino” and my personal favorite, “Lady’s In Trouble With The Law” on Spotify or iTunes!
After the opener’s invigorating performance, we waited until 10:30 for the magic that is Tame Impala to begin. Parker and his bandmates walked across the stage to immense cheers and started with their most popular song from Currents, titled “Let It Happen.” The background of the stage featured a myriad of colors, patterns, and scenery that was stunning and made the music feel less like a song and more like a psychedelic experience.
Next the band played one of my favorite songs of all time, “Mind Mischief.” This song was utterly amazing live; the guitar chords seemed to be magnified by the synchronizing (and breathtaking) lights behind the band and the whole crowd sang along creating a peaceful feeling throughout the whole room.
Throughout the night, Tame Impala played a wonderful variety of songs from their first to newest album. The background images fused with the potent smell of marijuana and puffs of smoke emerging throughout the crowd created a chill vibe where the most important thing was having a good time and letting go of your worries. This mood was a refreshing change from the chaotic concerts I had been to before; most of which involved a lot of pushing, sweating, and getting separated from friends. It was also cool to hear the band play songs from Innerspeaker followed directly with songs from Currents and provided more insight about the changes Kevin Parker went through while creating his music.
One of the best songs live was “Eventually” from the latest album. This song probably energized the mellow crowd the most. Eventually is a song that is clearly about a break-up, yet its lyrics, such as, “But I know that I'll be happier / And I know you will too” give a situation that is usually depressing a positive light and a melancholic feel. The guitar chords (that kick in around 14 seconds in the attached video) and the trippy visuals were electrifying and brought a contagious spirit into the audience.
In addition to “Mind Mischief” and “Eventually”, one of the songs Tame Impala played that I think was the best live is from Lonerism (their second album). Elephant is an aggressive song about a man with a huge ego, fueled by it’s intense drums and Parker’s magnificent guitar skills. This song is one that always reminds me of the Beatles (Parker often sounds exactly like John Lennon) but with a heavier rock influence. “Elephant” live was excellent and the red and yellow lights were a sudden and stimulating change from the colorful and calming background on the stage during previous songs.