REVIEW: Toro y Moi at Music Hall of Williamsburg

This is the only picture I took from last night. I did this while using the bathroom, mostly to remind me who the opening bands were. Isn't it arty?

Ran out of work to catch this show. The only thing I missed by getting there on time was a chance to drink. The opening band, Adventure, was about as boring as it comes. They create the kind of electronic music that makes me understand why people don't like machine created music. I heard 2 songs than went back to the bar.

We didn't even realize there were two openers. Being old men that my roommate and I are, this put a damper on our Sunday night. Second Band starts at 10:30??? I have work in the morning people!!! The second band was named Braids. They started out strong. They have a top notch drummer that lead into two cute ladies singing some layered harmonies in the vain of Panda Bear and Grizzly Bear (what's up with that by the way?). They of course don't have the same natural talents or experience, so I got bored with their lack of execution on an unoriginal styling. Guess where I ended up? If you guessed the bar, than you are correct.

Toro y Moi finally hit the stage at about 11, and now for my whole point of writing this post. What goes into picking an opening band? Do you purposefully choose bands not as good as you? Does this come naturally in the fact that these are the most talented bands that can't tour on their own as headliners? Whatever the reason, by comparison (and maybe due to my blood alcohol level) I was finally shaking my hips. Toro y Moi has a nice funky sound that with time can take their music to nice hights and maybe could open up for bands like Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective.

No, but seriously. It was hard for me to decipher what was going on and made me ask questions about music and art as a whole. If all I knew was top 40 pop music, would I walk into a Spoon show and declare them the greatest thing to happen to Rock and Roll? This is kind of like Plato and the Cave (I'm making a philosophy teacher smile somewhere). If all I'm exposed to in a night is mediocre music then by comparison the only decent band will come across as mind blowing, and will tempt me to go get their record on wax (which apparently I couldn't find available on my way out last night). Am I reading too much into this? I mean, I really like Toro y Moi and think they do new and interesting things, but the whole night made me wonder if through me not hearing enough or seeing enough art I am a truly informed "critic."-- Juxtaposition --

I was going to do a rant on people taking pictures on their cell phones for half a show, but I feel this review is scatter brained enough to add that to your plate. Another time I guess.

Now play these two songs back to back and tell me how great Toro y Moi sounds.

Actually after hearing this Braids song I kind of like it, though I recall this song being played early when I was still listening. I tried to find the first band, but low and behold they had nothing out there that I could post, except some knock off Static TV type show did.