Tame Impala – live at Lollapalooza, Brazil – March 12, 2016 – Band soundboard –
Having become a constant fan of Tame Impala since hearing rough demos on MySpace in 2007, the band – the brainchild of Kevin Parker, continued on an amazing journey by 2016 and had achieved a huge worldwide appeal. And today they continue growing musically, continuing to take chances and continue to explore new paths. Everything you want a band to be about. Everything that gives further evidence new music (not mainstream) has always been a trailblazer and that new music, if you take the time to seek and check it out, is better than ever. Sadly, I have a number of friends (of a certain age) who have given up listening to anything new – convinced the playing field is loaded with garbage. That notion of being frozen saddens me – because music is ever-expanding and exploring – it’s just expanding and exploring in places you don’t have easy access to. Your radio (in the U.S.) is no longer your friend – you need your own compass and a built-in curiosity to find things these days.
Obviously, a lot of inspiration is drawn from 60s Psychedelia and Prog – you can’t help but think of early Caravan and Kevin Ayers-era Soft Machine while listening to them – Kevin Parker’s voice is strongly reminiscent of John Lennon. But to say these are elements which inspire doesn’t mean Tame Impala is a 60s knock-off. Parker has crafted a unique and completely new and wonderful experience – there are just shades and elements and chord progressions that bear a faint echo. But Tame Impala has always been striving, expanding and reaching out. And that is why I have become a fan of theirs since the beginning and have no intention of quitting.
Frankly, I can never hear too much of Tame Impala – and even at over an hour, this concert feels short. But that’s just me and I will freely admit there are days when Tame Impala is preferred listening most hours of any given day.
So this concert kicks us into what was happening with the band in 2016. The Lollapalooza Festival, which jumps around to a lot of different and unique locales, is a hugely attended festival – and from the sounds of this set, the show was sold out.
Play very loud and find an excuse to celebrate. Good times . . . once.
