 "Photo: Photo courtesy of 230 Publicity")
Cloaked grim reapers. Banging gunshots resounding across the stage. Psychedelic neon spandex costumes. Death by mime.
While many people might picture the above scene and think of a particularly bizarre Cirque du Soleil production, they might be surprised to learn that these are just a few of the set pieces in your average Of Montreal concert, and some of the tamer ones at that.
"We design 100 percent of our own sets," guitarist Bryan Poole said. "Right now, the pieces are very Gary Numan-inspired. And they take hours to set up."
Rolling Stone describes Athens, Ga.-based Of Montreal's latest album, "Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?" as "funked-up indie pop that mashes together David Bowie's space theatrics and Prince's sexual hedonism." Even such a ridiculously disparate definition does not come close to conveying the full stereophonic experience of an Of Montreal album, and it is perhaps this musical richness that has steered the band toward even greater popularity.
Coming out of the Elephant-6 recording collective, which includes influential power-pop bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples in Stereo and the Olivia Tremor Control, Of Montreal languished in obscurity for almost 10 years in what singer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barnes called the "indie ghetto," unable to break through to any greater fame than cult status.
The band, recording since 1997's "Cherry Peel," owes much of its resurgence to Barnes, who writes all the material and comes up with most of the set designs.
"Of Montreal is Kevin's baby," Poole said. "He usually writes all of the songs as well as the music, especially on the last couple of albums."
Moving away from the Kinks-inspired '60s psychedelia of its earlier years, Of Montreal's latest albums show a trend toward electronica and dance music awash in synths and drum beats while still retaining the absurdist lyrics and whacky vocal stylings that are Barnes' signature.
"The first six years or so were tough," Poole said. "'Satanic Panic in the Attic' [Of Montreal's 10th album, released in 2004] was when people really started coming out to our shows," Poole said. "We gained a lot of high school fans, and it basically spread through word of mouth."
"Panic" and the previous album, "The Sunlandic Twins," have sold more than 70,000 copies, an impressive feat for any indie band. And considering a recently aired Outback Steakhouse commercial featured the band's music, Of Montreal is definitely a band on the rise. But it's Of Montreal's live shows that have propelled the band to the status of live legend and indie must-see.
"We're influenced by all sorts of things," Poole said. "Sly Stone, The Beach Boys, Funkadelic. Kevin's brother, Dave, really helps with the theatrics as well. Expect a party."
Of Montreal's work is not over, however.
"We're going to go into the studio after Thanksgiving," Poole said. "The new album [tentatively titled 'Skeletal Lamping'] is probably going to continue the trend of our last three."
"Kevin's already written about 40 to 50 songs," he continued. "You'll probably hear a few of them at the show."
When asked when the album might drop, Poole said, "We're hoping for a release date next fall. We're already a good ways through the album artwork."
A band that Poole said was "on the verge of calling it quits" a few years ago now has one of the fastest-growing fan bases in alternative rock and is swiftly building a reputation as one of the most progressive and entertaining bands playing today. Not to mention it puts on a live show that is probably the most extravagant outside of Las Vegas.
"I'm very happy with where the band is right now, and the crowds at our shows are only getting bigger," Poole said. "I think we're going in the right direction."
- Of Montreal will perform with Grand Buffet and MGMT at the Avalon at 7 p.m. The Avalon is located at 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood.
Tickets are $18.
