Tame Impala at Prospect Park Bandshell

Tame Impala played first of two Celebrate Brooklyn! shows in Prospect Park (pics, setlist, video)

photos by Mimi Hong

Like any psychedelic rock show, Tame Impala’s staging places a heavy emphasis on visuals. There’s an oscillator onstage translating the band’s sonic output into squiggling, luminous orbs, multicolored lights bathing them a rainbow glow, and enough trippy backdrops to make the Flaming Lips blush. Even with such an array of eye candy, nothing could compete to the sight of Parker finally embracing his role as a frontman. Until recently, his onstage presence was almost mouse-like: he’d remain stationary, sheepish, shielded by his guitar. Last night, I witnessed an entirely different man bounding across the stage, climbing atop on the speakers just a few feet away from the crowd, and generally carrying on like a shy high-schooler going hard at prom. Considering how far he’s come in a few short years, I’d have done the same thing. – [Brooklyn Mag]

While we’d argue that music is always better in a small club, some bands excel at the Big Outdoor Show and Tame Impala are one of them, matching an impressive trippy lightshow with their summery, singalong psych-pop jams. With perfect weather, it made for a lovely evening in Prospect Park on Tuesday night (6/14), the first of their two shows at the Bandshell as part of the 2016 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. We got more than half of last year’s acclaimed Currents, with the rest of the set divvied up between their first two albums, along with their rendition of “Daffodils” which Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker co-wrote with Mark Ronson (and which is on Ronson’s Uptown Special). Setlist on Tuesday’s show, and video of Tame Impala playing “The Less I Know the Better” are below.

Opening both shows is Sweden’s jazzy, flutified psych greats Dungen who we very sadly missed but a few Instagrams from their set are below. You can see Dungen indoors on Friday (6/17) at Bowery Ballroom with Purling Hiss, and tickets are still available.

Tame Impala and Dungen do it again tonight in Prospect Park, a show which is very sold out.

SETLIST: Tame Impala @ Prospect Park Bandshell 6/14/2016
Nangs
Let It Happen
Mind Mischief
Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?
Why Won’t They Talk to Me?
The Moment
Elephant
The Less I Know the Better
Daffodils
Eventually
Yes I’m Changing
Alter Ego
Oscilly
It Is Not Meant to Be
Apocalypse Dreams

Encore:
Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
New Person, Same Old Mistakes

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGp32omNY2i/?tagged=dungen

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