Animal Collective is one of those bands that stick with you through the years. I first discovered their album Feels the Winter of my sophomore year in high school and that album changed my perspective and interest in music. Three years later, their musical ability still inspires and moves me. So when I heard they were coming to my hometown, I jumped at the opportunity to see them live at Maverick’s Live during their Painting With tour.

Their show was everything I could imagine: lively, erratic, and bold. Their stage setup was filled with paintings of faces, and a projector of psychedelic and neon lights danced across the stage. Sonically, their songs have the same punch and energy that they do on their records, if not more.

The tracks “FloriDada” and “Golden Gal” were exceptionally bouncy. Throughout their set, they kept up with a dreamlike theme. The ambient beats of one song would glide into the next— I was impressed by the flow of their songs, they all fit together magically and kept the listener engaged.

Animal Collective is a creative, innovative, and fun musical outfit, and it is exemplified in their live performances. The crowd fed off of the band’s enthusiasm which created an atmosphere of unity between the band and their listeners. Overall, seeing Animal Collective live was a surreal experience. I gained a better appreciation for their musical ability and uniqueness. This show was definitely one for the books, and I’ll look back on this experience with delight.   

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