From Pitchfork Music Festival 2018: Tame Impala Light up the Stage in a Psychedelic Swirl

“We’re trying not to waste the acid, we took it already,” groaned a group of tired festivalgoers behind me, after waiting over an hour to secure a spot with a decent view of the stage. To my left, two strangers—one a Chicago native, the other from Phoenix, Arizona—engaged in some hilariously awkward small talk: “So, where can I find the best… steak, in all of Chicago?” / “Did you say steak?” Meanwhile, across the massive crowd, a particularly impatient and riled-up fan screamed out at the top of his lungs: “Just let it happen!” Such was the atmosphere late Friday night at Pitchfork, when thousands of impatient Tame Impala fans gathered together to await the Australian psychedelic rock band take the mainstage and close the first day of the festival. In the end, the wait proved worthwhile—Tame Impala delivered a satisfying set, riding on continually stunning visuals and bursts of adrenaline spawned by their several bulletproof hits, if not on the steep devotion of their fans alone.

It would be remiss not to mention the unique visual aspect that Tame Impala brought to their set—it was perhaps the most captivating aspect of it all. Flanking the stage on either side were two giant monitors that, from beginning to end, flashed stunning kaleidoscopic images and bursting neon swirls of color. At the set’s best moments, they elevated Tame Impala’s performances of their most well-known hits into experiences that were flat-out otherworldly. Their live renditions of “Eventually,” and “Yes I’m Changing,” for example, could have easily held their own because of their popularity—but it was a spectacular thing to shut your eyes [FOR] one moment and soak in the audio, then open them and allow yourself to be bombarded with absolutely gorgeous, woozy psychedelic swirls that reflected the real-time soundscape around you. “There's a world out there, it's calling my name / …and it’s calling yours too,” the audience sang along during the latter—easily recalling lyrics from the now three-year-old “Currents” with an enthusiasm that seemed completely unphased by the passage of time.

The same devoted audience came to Tame Impala’s rescue set each time their set seemed to veer towards lackluster territory. While there were lulls here and there throughout the lesser known songs of their set, the enthusiasm was steadfast for the most part, and a particularly devoted cult carried the rest of the audience by shouting out the most esoteric lyrics with impressive precision. Even when audio-related technical difficulties threatened to take away from the immersive quality of some critical points in the set—for example, when the highly built-up drop in “Let It Happen” underwhelmed, or when the thundering opening moments from “Elephant” weren’t nearly as anthemic as they could’ve been—their fans were unfailingly devoted, effortlessly ad-libbing the missing synth lines or filling the quiet with rhythmic cheers. The energy never faltered.

It’s an interesting decision to have Tame Impala headline in 2018—years have passed since their last record release, and the only new material that’s come out since “Currents” has been a single, lukewarm collaboration with ZHU. It’s an easy get, obviously, but almost feels high-stakes—could their material, at this point, really still resonate with a crowd of thousands? Their set on Friday proved the answer was a resounding yes: Maybe fans walked away not quite taken on the full-on psychedelic odyssey they’re more than capable of conjuring. But at the very least, they left awestruck by Tame Impala’s undeniable staying power and influence.

— Staff writer Patricia M. Guzman can be reached at patricia.guzman@thecrimson.com.