It’s crazy to think that we’re still waiting on any events that were by COVID-19, but that’s effectively what we got on Saturday night when Tame Impala finally made an appearance at Spectrum Center for the first time since the show originally scheduled for June 8, 2020, was canceled due to the pandemic.
Australian musician Kevin Parker’s psychedelic project finally rolled into town over the weekend, playing two sold-out concerts. We were there for Saturday’s show, the first performance of the pairing.
Parker might not be the most forthcoming frontman — having spoken about his social anxieties in the past — but his music transcended the Uptown arena’s space.
Performing for most of the set on a circular, raised platform in the middle of the arena floor, Parker and his band had the crowd grooving and moving. A corresponding light show featured lasers, light-up curtains and numerous other variations of lumination that had it feeling more like a club than a concert.
His 22-song set, including a three-track encore, featuring music from four of his albums: Lonerism, Currents, The Slow Rush, and last year’s Deadbeat.
Parker records all of his music on his own in the studio, then lets the band stretch out a bit when performing live. It’s interesting, in the live setting, to wonder what kind of instrumentation is being used to create all the varied noises, with band members standing behind electronic consoles, keyboards and other instruments.
The night started with a set from Djo, a musical project from actor Joe Keery (Steve Harrington on Stranger Things). The popularity of that show combined with catchy tunes that blend pop, rock and psychedelic tones have led to Djo’s recent spike in popularity.
Tame Impala’s Deadbeat Tour will continue through North America through the end of summer, at which time he’ll hop continents to his homebase in Australia to continue on.
Tame Impala setlist
Apocalypse Dreams
Deadbeat Jam
Borderline
Loser
Breathe Deeper
Gossip
Elephant
Afterthought
My Old Ways
Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
No Reply
Ethereal Connection
Not My World
Let It Happen
Nangs
Why Won’t They Talk to Me?
Piece of Heaven
Eventually
New Person, Same Old Mistakes
Encore
Dracula
The Less I Know the Better
End of Summer
Djo setlist
Awake
Change
Basic Being Basic
Lonesome Is a State of Mind
Roddy
Fool
Charlie’s Garden
Delete Ya
Egg
End of Beginning
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
