REVIEW: DIVE Presents Os Mutantes with support from Pinc Louds
07/12 @ Lark Hall, Albany
Photos by Pete Perry
“Hearing the early hits off their 1968 self-titled album, like the fuzzed-out “A Minha Menina” and the ever-upbeat and joyful “Bat Macumba”, performed live is surreal enough… experiencing them in a room full of people dancing As a machine shoots plumes of light-catching bubbles through the air is actual bliss.”
A hazy, humid summer night under a full moon is as close to ideal conditions as you can get for a live Os Mutantes show in Albany. The legendary Brazilian psych-rock group that came to prominence in the late ‘60s is currently touring North America—their second tour here in as many years. This time around, they touched down close to home at Lark Hall.
Sérgio Dias, the last remaining member of the original lineup, was seated in the middle of the stage, smiling widely alongside his younger bandmates. Now in his seventies, he can still deliver considerable energy and vitality, singing and playing guitar from a drum throne. Hearing the early hits off their 1968 self-titled album, like the fuzzed-out “A Minha Menina” and the ever-upbeat and joyful “Bat Macumba”, performed live is surreal enough… experiencing them in a room full of people dancing while a machine shoots plumes of light-catching bubbles through the air is actual bliss.
Os Mutantes is well known in Brazil for packing out larger venues, while fans in the states are at a distinct advantage for enjoying their live shows in much more intimate settings. Many in the audience looked to be (unsurprisingly) of an older generation, but regardless gave the same spirit right back to the band: whooping, clapping, and swaying in time to the music.
Pinc Louds from NYC began the night–not on stage, but in the center of the room amongst the audience. A spotlight shone down on them, cutting through the darkness: bright blue lipstick, glittering eyelids, and a single drum hanging from their neck instantly drew everyone’s attention as voices quieted down to hear them play. A seasoned busker, Pinc Louds began beating along (literally) to the beat of their own drum, with the help of an audience member that volunteered to hold the microphone as they traveled steadily around the room, singing.
Pinc then made their way to the stage. Their vocals made me think affectionately of early Devendra Banhart or Joanna Newsom. Performing as a solo act, the looping vocals, near-beatboxing effects and drums they employed made it sound as if a full band was present on stage with them. A few songs into their set, Pinc said of opening for Os Mutantes: “It’s not everyday you get to open for your talented heroes… and I’ve done it three times now!” By far one of the most colorful, expressive, and summery shows I’ve experienced in a long time.
