Kelsey Heng on January 25th, 2014

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Two things Of Montreal fans know well: Embrace change and expect anything. On Thursday night at the sold-out Art Theatre in Long Beach, anything was fair game. But compared to the usual dizzying psychedelic atmosphere and shocking antics at every turn, this movie theater gathering was tame and bare. Stripped of classic over-the-top costumes, warring ninjas, color-blinding vaudeville visuals and its characteristic “bizarre celebrations,” the band exhibited their musicality honestly and without distraction.

Packed into the Art Theatre, seated and popcorn in hand, the crowd had feeling of grateful anticipation. Only a handful of times has the theater on Retro Row opened its doors to musical guests, but this caliber of performer visiting the space was a true rarity, one not to be missed.

The rows of red movie seats immediately emptied as the beloved Rebecca Cash stepped onto stage to ready the audience in vocal exercises. When Kevin Barnes sped out to the mic, the aisles even became part of the dance floor. Blanketed in dark red light, Barnes started the night with softer, newer material from “Lousy With Sylvianbriar,” feeding into older favorites, “Suffer For Fashion,” off 2007’s “Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?” and “For Our Elegant Caste,” off 2008’s “Skeletal Lamping.” As the music continued, the funky guitar tempos started climbing, the vocals got louder, and after Barnes’ anticipated glittery costume change, the rest of the night fell into a second act of rowdy upbeat material. Without the usually compelling visuals, Barnes’ guitar work was staggering, and never has the band displayed more true, gritty Southern rock.

To even the most frequent Of Montreal show-goer, this rare, intimate night was something to remember – an easy-to-love exploration in smaller live experiences. And for Long Beach, it is, hopefully, the kind of show that will become more commonplace on the city’s entertainment landscape. Hint hint.

Photo by Kelsey Heng