MGMT gives Columbus one of a kind experience

Amy Macynski
Fri, 15 Nov 2013 17:43:11 +0000
Events, Music, Columbus, electric feel, kids, LC Pavilion, MGMT, Ohio

As MGMT took the stage Thursday at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, the entire venue seemed to be void of any light except for the glow coming from the bathrooms.

Suddenly screens throughout the space began flashing bright graphics at the audience as the band was announced.

When they began to play, the room flooded with light, from spotlights that seemed to be pointed every direction and a large projected backdrop behind the band lit up with elaborate graphics.

The show began with songs from the band’s newest album, released in 2012, entitled “MGMT.” The album was released with the option of “The Optimizer” said to give listeners an “aural and optical listening experience,” according to the album information on iTunes.

The band delivered this same experience during their live show.

“It was pretty cool how when you listened to the album itself it was a very sit down and chill out album, but they really translated that into a live setting, to get people to dance and move around, by doing these really long jam sessions,” Gavin Hensley, a third-year in new media and communications technology, who attended the concert with friends.

During certain songs, the band’s lead singer, Andrew VanWyngarden, controlled a camera linked to the heat map style video graphics, shown behind the band and on various screens throughout the venue. With the camera, VanWyngarden alternated between capturing himself and his band mates in various angles, to capturing the crowd dancing in front of the stage.

“It was kind of like live art in a way,” said Hensley.

Intermixed with the live video were images that moved and changed colors along with the beat of the music playing. The graphics included images such as jellyfish and animations of insect-human crossbreeds.

Two concert-goers and MGMT fans, Colleen Welsch, a fourth-year anthropology student and Eric Finch, 23, an insurance salesman for Nationwide Insurance, said that the graphics have been radically improved.

“When we saw them in May it was more like cheap, you know? Like Windows 98. But this was really great,” said Finch.

Welsch agreed saying the graphics were more put together at this concert.

The energy in the venue rose noticeably when the band played their more popular songs from their 2007 album, Oracular Spectacular. The crowd audibly sang along with songs such as “Kids” and “Electric Feel.”

“You could tell that were people there for the 2007 hits, but you could also tell there were people who were really into them,” said Welsch.

The mix of the old and new was balanced enough to keep the audience attentive for the entire show.

“They did a really good job, musically of keeping people involved and engaged,” said Hensley.

Overall with the lighting, graphics and their music, MGMT created a one of a kind experience for the audience.

“This kind of awakened the MGMT fan in me,” said Hensley of his experience at the concert.

As the band exited the stage, after a two-song encore, the stage went dark again leaving fans with a one of a kind experience of audio and visual.