Sunday, July 11, 2010

Jeff's Weekly Pick: MGMT @ Open Air Theatre July 15, 2010

Concerts during the summertime have essentially become the time for festivals and larger outdoor events. While my preference is for the smaller club shows, I look forward to the bigger shows since they are limited in number. MGMT, the Brooklyn-based band of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, will be kicking off their next run of concerts in America's Finest City at SDSU's beautiful Open Air Theatre this Thursday. One of the hardest things for a relatively new band to do is produce a sophomore effort equal to or better than their first. While this all becomes subjective, it was not going to be easy for MGMT, since several tracks from Oracular Spectactular seemed to playing anywhere and everywhere. It would have been safe for the band to make a second album with more of the same, but that is not the case this time. Congratulations, released in April, shows the band going in a different direction. While the songs might not be so instantly likeable, the album shows a band that is willing to try different things while trying to evolve musically. After repeated listens, I find myself liking Congratulations as much as their initial offering if not more. Suffice it to say, the concert this Thursday should be outstanding.

Francis and The Lights and Helios Creed set the stage.

Watch a video of It's Working below.

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