With his trademark distorted psychedelic themes intact, Alan Palomo, aka Neon Indian, managed to deliver a polished performance bolstered by his lively dancing and groovy persona.
Typical indie rock band Explorer Tapes preceded the north Texas based Neon Indian, but their aura seemed slightly at odds with Palomo’s varied and funky tunes. The Wednesday performance at Majestic heavily featured his newest album, Vega Intl. Night School.
From the first measure to the last, the Neon Indian crew exhibited an average level of excitement, except for Palomo. Neon Indian’s creator exuded the confidence of a six year tour veteran and the energy of a rookie, manifesting itself in his uncomplicated but hip dance moves.
He made it clear early on the show would lean heavily on the Vega album, kicking off with the “Dear Skorpio Magazine” and “Annie.” Palomo’s entire set featured only four songs from his old albums, including “Terminally Chill” and “Deadbeat Summer.”
Once a familiar site at live performances, the absence of a theremin underscored the band’s move away from trippy sounds to the more refined disco funk found in his new album.
Yet Neon Indian’s soul is still very much alive; his vocals never seemed to break free of the synth and bass. This melding of voice and instruments conveyed far more feeling than words alone could provide.
And where many artists fight hard to achieve crisp delivery, Palomo’s voice instead effortlessly rode each melodic swell in the sort of half unintelligible moan common to chillwave.
The synth heavy, bass driven style has clearly stayed with Neon Indian even as his supporting members and creative direction has shifted.
The light show was typical for a Majestic performance — the only unique visual feature was two bright blue neon signs which read “Vega Intl” and “Night School.”
The crowd was more than receptive to the new album’s songs and with each tune became noticeably more immersed. After an hour of jamming, the band withdrew after “Deadbeat Summer,” the most successful song off their freshman album Psychic Chasms.
For his encore presentation, Palomo performed an energetic rendition of the pop-like “Polish Girl” — his greatest hit to date. The crowd exploded with the enthusiasm only found when a band plays their crown jewel.
The audience may have come in craving Neon Indian’s original hits, but by the show’s end, it seems clear the tried and true classics may have something to compete with.
