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Of Montreal Get Psychedelic in Boston

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With a crowd dressed in their brightest Halloween costumes, last night’s Of Montreal show at Boston’s Orpheum Theatre was a true spectacle. Frontman Kevin Barnes commanded the event with his flamboyant hyper-Bowie behavior and unrivaled energy.

The set list was almost exclusively devoted to their just-released effort, the wildly eclectic Skeletal Lamping, including such highlights as “Nonpareil of Favor” and “Gallery Piece,” during which Barnes repeated lyrics of “I want to make you cum 200 times a day.”

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The band was as tight as ever, with some tunes featuring two drummers and two bass players. The new song “Touched Something’s Hollow” reached the quietest moment of the night with Barnes’ solo piano performance channeling Plastic Ono Band-era John Lennon.

Familiar tunes such as “Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games” and “Oslo In The Summertime,” both off 2005’s The Sunlandic Twins, and a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” sent the crowd into a frenzy.

One surprising highlight of the night was the show happening behind the band. A small troupe of performers dressed as ninjas and Vaudeville-era cowboys danced as a woman in a nun outfit ran her hands up Barnes’ near-nude body. The concept was nonsensical, but it worked.

The gig was dazzling, confusing, and wholly entertaining.

More photos from last night on page 2 >>Of Montreal / Photo by Tim BugbeeOf Montreal / Photo by Tim BugbeeOf Montreal / Photo by Tim BugbeeOf Montreal / Photo by Tim Bugbee

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