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Neon Indian, Toro y Moi & MNDR played Mercury Lounge - pics

words & photos by Erez Avissar

Neon Indian

Going by phone/digital camera clips I’d seen online, I wasn’t expecting what I got from Neon Indian Tuesday night. This genre called “chillwave” seemed to me all but doomed to ever really work well in the live setting — not only is it all lo-fi and bedroomy, but Alan Palomo’s peers (Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Memory Tapes) didn’t make the decision to recruit a live band. Opener Toro Y Moi was good, but yeah, there is only so much one man can do live.

Neon Indian, fresh off a European tour, played with loads of confidence, improvising, tweaking, and expanding. And they delivered: “Terminally Chill” hit hard, as did “Deadbeat Summer,” and the rest of the highlights from their great record. I didn’t think there were any songs left for an encore, but what did they do? Come back out (sans-Leanne Macomber) as Vega to play an extended (12″ version?), totally spaced/funked-out “No Reason,” temporarily turning the place into the best club on earth.

Neon Indian finish their three-night NYC run at Brooklyn Bowl tonight (12/17) with Tigercity and Awesome New Republic (tickets available at the door?). More pictures from the first of two shows at Mercury Lounge below…

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

MNDR

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian

Neon Indian