by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Hard to explain just how big Animal Collective was back in the late 2000s. Merriweather Post Pavilion, which came out in 2009 on Domino, was a rather mammoth hit in certain circles in an era marked by Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Of Montreal, Phoenix… those were colorful times. I loved most of those bands, but Animal Collective was always just below my radar, and I’m not sure why. I remember my niece loving them and being surprised I wasn’t familiar. I’ve been catching up ever since, and their music has held up very well indeed over the years. 

Their latest, Time Skiffs (2022, Domino), sounds almost conventional compared to some of the stuff they put out in recent years, though it’s still pretty experimental in a glittering sound-scape sort of way. 

Anyway, Animal Collective is playing tonight at The Slowdown in the big room. Opening act, fellow Baltimorians, Tomato Flower, have a groovy ‘60s Flower Power sound. Something tells me this is going to be a great show. $41, 8 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2022 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.