Review: Grizzly Bear & Jens Lekman at the Melbourne Zoo Twilights, March 9 2018
Grizzly Bear have long been critically-beloved darlings of the indie rock scene, so when it was announced that the group were once again heading back to Australia in support of their first album in five years, Painted Ruins, dedicated fans jumped at the chance to see one of the most intriguing groups on the circuit today.
As the sun began to set on a cool Melbourne evening, a lower than average turnout made their way into the Melbourne Zoo grounds for the penultimate concert in this year’s Zoo Twilights series. On one hand, it was a terrible that so many chances to see an incredible band such as Grizzly Bear were to go unclaimed, but on the other, when a concert is held on the same night as an international drawcard like Ed Sheehan, this is the sort of thing to be expected.
As the chilled-out audience began to take their seats, the stage was darkened by a thin figure dressed smartly in a jacket and a baseball cap, holding a guitar. Yes, Swedish favourite, and one-time Melbourne resident, Jens Lekman had arrived to warm up the crowd with his softly-spoken indie-pop/disco-folk style of playing.
Following a solo performance of ‘To Know Your Mission’, Lekman was joined by a four-piece backing band which included the likes of Guy Blackman and Jennifer McKechnie of Wet Lips and Cable Ties, who turned his beautifully-written tunes of sadness, romance, and esoteric happenings into something that felt like more of a cathartic party.
“This looks like a bad place to do a wall of death,” Lekman noted before diving into fan favourites including ‘Your Arms Around Me’, and the Melbourne-referencing ‘An Argument With Myself’. At the end of his ten-song set, which was interspersed with personal stories that featured his trademark acerbic wit, Lekman and his group left the stage, undoubtedly having just made countless new fans from his appearance.
As the evening grew dimmer, an eager crowd rose to their feet to welcome Brooklyn favourites Grizzly Bear to the stage. As a smoke machine added to the vibe of the group’s appearance, lights illuminated the stage to show off a veritable library of instruments, undoubtedly leading many to question whether (and how) this monstrous array of instruments will be utilised.
“This is probably our biggest show ever here,” the group revealed, seemingly chipper despite recent reports of the financial situation this current tour is leaving them in. As Grizzly Bear powered through an impressive set of 16 cuts from their discography, fans looked on in awe as the group’s impressive performance style was complemented by a light show which should have come with some sort of warning due its erratic and blinding nature.
Undoubtedly, the evening’s performance was a something that truly needed to be seen to be enjoyed (a shame for those sitting on picnic blankets whose view was blocked by the mass of audience members at the front), as the group were bathed in dark, moody lights of blue, white, and something a furious red, matching the mood of their tunes, and allowing the visual aspect to become as much a part of the performance as their stunning music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T300xcall_U
While almost every song was met with raucous cheers from the audience, by the time the group had reached the halfway mark, it became clear that the performance had lost some of its lustre. Some fans resigned to just sit back and watch, listening to the music instead of truly experiencing it, while others chose to leave the grounds early. However, a band like Grizzly Bear isn’t particularly in the business of crafting singalongs, nor urging audience members to “get the fuck up”, rather they’re here to provide an immersive experience that allows their music to speak for itself, and that is exactly what they delivered.
While tracks such as ‘Two Weeks’, ‘While You Wait For The Others’, and the gorgeous ‘Foreground’ were welcomed with unrestrained applause, Grizzly Bear continued their aural assault with soaring vocals switching between an intimate whisper and a powerful, impassioned, theatrical show of emotion.
Following a short intermission, the group returned to the stage to deliver a two-song encore that undoubtedly left some fans worried their sound might be cut off, as they slightly stepped over the strict 9:45pm curfew that was in place.
While some may complain that a Grizzly Bear performance contains few ‘hits’, the sheer joy seen on almost every member of the remaining audience served as a testament to the phenomenal performance a group such as this puts on. If anything, the evening’s performance proved that if you haven’t managed to see a performance by Grizzly Bear, make sure that you do, because nothing can compare to the immersive explosion of emotion that they deliver.
Check out Grizzly Bear’s ‘Two Weeks’:
