Two Brooklyn bands. Two much talked-about debut albums. Two headliners on this current tour. Yet this post will be dedicated to Yeasayer, and I will admittedly ignore MGMT. Why? Because while the latter band (whom I had enjoyed seeing once earlier) entirely phoned it in, the former, even while playing the role of an opener on this night, came out with a burst of psych-infused energy and a live sound that justified any of the praise that their debut album, All Hour Cymbals, has garnered. Yeasayer’s vocalist/synth maestro, Chris Keating, has a dynamic stage presence that also comes off as entirely genuine. The band moved fluidly between blistering guitar meltdowns and bouncy percussive breaks, all the while keeping the audience in tune to the blissful yet foreboding melodies at the heart of each song. About halfway through their set, Yeasayer launched into the crowd-favorite “2080″, and the dichotomy between the joyous audience and the apocalyptic lyrics perfectly summarized the major strength of this band: crafting songs that turn our dark world into something sublime and communal.

More photos below…

Yeasayer 

MGMT

Violens