Avey Tare (Animal Collective) and guests host an intimate and colorful set at Bowery Ballroom, NYC

Avey Tare (aka Dave Portner, lead member of Animal Collective) played his fourth show of this short leg of his tour at the Bowery Ballroom in support of his recent album Eucalyptus.

Avey Tare surprised fans by adding Jeremy Hyman and Geologist of Animal Collective. Hyman, who supported Animal Collective on their Painting With tour as their drummer, opened the night with his minimal/experimental electronic set, leading to Geologist’s eclectic electronic set that sent fans into a strange, otherworldly daze.

Geologist (aka Brian Weitz) had a literal spotlight on him; his usual headlamp illuminated his DJ booth/equipment, causing the audience to focus directly on his blue, light-tinted silhouette and spacing out to his music.

After both openers finished their sets, Avey Tare went on stage and began his part with his beautiful track “Enjoy the Change,” which was one of the many new songs that he debuted on this tour. Many fans deduced that the transfer of songs from his album Eucalyptus to a live setting might have proven difficult, leading to about half of the setlist being new songs, and the rest off of Eucalyptus.

A treat to the audience was when Geologist joined Avey Tare on stage to perform their song “Man of Oil,” a track from their joint Animal Collective EP Meeting of the Waters, an album they recorded together in the Amazon rainforest in 2016 and released on Record Store Day.

Visuals from the show were provided by Abby Portner, Avey Tare’s sister and long-time collaborator. The visuals featured four layers of oily and colorful projections, complementing the intimate, passionate and ethereal performance.

Although Avey Tare announced a cancellation of some shows on his tour due to “logistical complications,” fans continue to look forward to his seemingly neverending shows and projects.

Coverage by Catherine Toruno 

For upcoming events and artists features, follow SoundBite Magazine on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. If you would like to be feature your event, art, music, or company on SoundBite Magazine, please contact soundbitemag@gmail.com for features and promotional inquiries.