Of Montreal @ Botanique

Eclectic, theatrical and fun. Of Montreal convinced the few hundreds of people squeezed in the Botanique Rotonda for their sold-out show in Brussels last night. The concert was both a good sample of the musical talents of the band from Athens, Georgia, and a personal show by Kevin Barnes, or rather his outrageous alter-ego Georgie Fruit. The songs performed were mainly from their last two albums, which privilege funky rythms, retro-disco effects, influences from glam-rock, Talking Heads and 80s electropop,..and a touch of Rocky Horror. This latest element was overemphasized by the four performing artists staging little gags and scenes wearing animal costumes, skull masks or superhero outfits as the band played--shame the Rotonda stage was probably limiting their possibilities. Barnes/Fruit predictably stole the show with his pretended-gay attitudes (the guy is allegedly straight as an arrow), little dances, costumes and strip teases. Overall, an incredible stage animal. Personal highlights of a brilliant setlist: the opener She's a Rejecter, A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger, from "Hissin Fauna" and Gallery Piece from the latest "Skeletal Lamping". But really everything showed how far the band has grown up from their thin psych-pop Elephant Six beginnings. (And just for the nostalgic old guys like me, Of Montreal saluted with impeccable covers of two punk classics: the Ramones' Judy is a Punk and the Buzzcocks' Ever Fallen in Love?)