stereolab @ the gothic theatre

The abstract gold-and-turquoise curves and rays that decorate the interior of the Gothic Theatre suit Stereolab’s geometric colorful-construction-paper aesthetic well. They’ve drawn an eclectic crowd: the sold-out venue is packed with hipster dads, wine moms, and alt teens alike. That eclectic attitude is echoed by their merch, which includes Stereolab-branded laundry bags, aprons, and egg cups alongside more the conventional options of t-shirts, CDs, and a tour-exclusive vinyl single.

Opener Dorothea Paas begins the night with a singer-songwriter set that’s comforting at times, insecure at others, and accented by tinges of art pop and new age throughout. For much of the set, percussion is absent, with instrumentation characterized instead by slow-paced guitar, bass, cello, keyboard, and vocal harmonies. On tracks like “Whatever That Means” and “Frozen Window”, Paas’ lyricism consists of stream-of-consciousness prose, dealing with relatable insecurities and unfamiliar emotions. Listening to these tracks can feel like reading a journal, and it seems to me that Paas approaches songwriting as a therapeutic method of better understanding herself and her feelings: “It’s hard to see myself in positive light”, she sings on “Frozen Window”, “It’s hard to hear the sound of my voice the way it is in my head”. Despite the personal and occasionally depressing lyrics, however, Paas brings a friendly persona to the stage, sharing with the audience anecdotes about her day, her love for the mountains, and, as the set comes to an end, gratitude that this show was the “greatest musical experience of my life”. Between the heartbroken and angelic verses of closer “Locked”, Paas approaches a second microphone plugged into a heavy distortion pedal, beginning first with a low moan that crescendos into a drawn-out, noisy scream. For a set that had thus far been comprised of more conventional singer-songwriter pieces, this experimental twist is unexpected, but nevertheless a welcome addition and a veritable highlight of the set.

Following an admittedly lengthy intermission, Stereolab arrive on stage, heralded by the plucky, retrofuturistic synth arpeggio of “Mystical Plosives”. Their style is warm, calm, rhythmic, enveloping, and hypnotic. A uniquely Stereolab blend of rock instrumentation and electronic sensibilities has kept them feeling fresh ever since their formation in the 90s, and the extensive discography they’ve built since then is certainly an impressive feat. The groop’s¹ recorded discography can feel quite scientific at times, given the ways they gravitate towards verbose lyricism, extended instrumental passages, and album titles like “Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements” or this year’s “Instant Holograms On Metal Film”. In a live setting, however, their music feels all too natural: playful, joyful, and jammy, music that loves music. “Peng! 33”, for example, was an infectiously danceable indie pop jam, and “Motoroller Scalatron” felt reminiscent of early rock-’n’-roll—with, of course, a distinctly Stereolab twist by way of electric synth zaps and its 7/4 groove. Pieces like “Miss Modular” and “Cybele’s Reverie”, on the other hand, are more archetypically Stereolab with their lush compositions, groovy rhythms, and French-language lyrics sung by frontwoman Lætitia Sadier, musing about the trompe-l’œil on the cardboard box or the garden with the high portico.

Sadier’s stage presence was absolutely lovely. She was well-spoken with the messaging surrounding their more political songs like “Melodie Is A Wound” and “If You Remember I Forgot How to Dream”, sweet and grateful in more casual between track-interludes, and quite talented when it came to balancing all the roles she plays in the groop. In addition to her role as lead vocalist, she at points played guitar, keyboard, tambourine, and, to my repeated amusement, periodically appeared a trombone out of thin air. (By “thin air”, of course, I mean from behind a table that obstructed it from my position in the crowd, but it was certainly a welcome surprise the first time around!)

Following a standout performance of “This Flower Called Nowhere”, a voice from the audience exclaims “y’all are the shit!”, to which Sadier charmingly responds “I thank you for the compliment” before introducing “Melodie Is A Wound” with an alternative title: “Capitalism Is A Wound”. This groovy, psychedelic, multi-part socialist odyssey certainly a highlight of the show. At the outset it comes at its most structured, as Sadier sings “The goal is to manipulate / Heavy hands to intimidate / Snuff out the very idea of clarity / Strangle your longing for truth and trust”, visualizing the anti-capitalist lyrics by holding a fist in the air, marching like a soldier, or miming out strangulation. Then, the track progresses toward its eclectic, jammy instrumental outro, with segments of catchy guitar hooks, electronically-manipulated trumpet, drum machines, key changes, and synth embellishments. Right as it seems like the already-eight-minute song is drawing to a close, the band erupts into a manic, jazzy breakdown, which further devolves into a frenzied improvisational noise piece. Rainbow stage lights move quickly behind the band, harsh electronics clash with dissonant synth chords, and the drums gradually fade in and out of rhythmic coherence. It’s as if the music is collapsing under its own weight, communicating the repression of violent, manipulative systems of capitalism referenced in preceding lyrics. This explosive outro continues for at least five minutes, providing plenty of time to study the intricacies of this improvisation, the way grooves emerge and disappear, and the absolute crushing enormity of it all. A similar moment came later in the show with the outro to “Esemplastic Creeping Eruption”, which provided a counterpoint to the bright and energetic chaos of “Melodie” via a deep, droning soundscape, slow-moving monochrome lighting, and the track’s ominous chorus of “It’s dark, it’s dark, I will abide, it’s dark”.

The show’s closer of “Cybele’s Reverie” gives way to the inevitable chant of “one more song!”, and Stereolab give three in a triple-headed encore, featuring the quirky ominousness of “Percolator”, the bittersweet comfort of “The Way Will Be Opening”, and a final playful instrumental outro in “Immortal Hands”. Though the band may be reaching thirty-five years old, it feels like Stereolab is just getting started.

“Instant Holograms On Metal Film” by Stereolab
Stream: https://stereolab.ffm.to/instant-holograms.OWE

text & photo by bryson browning

1. ([sic], Stereolab occasionally refer to themselves as “The Groop”, for example in the title of their 1993 EP “The Groop Played ‘Space Age Batchelor Pad Music'” or on their website’s blurb about their recent single “Fed Up With Your Job / Constant And Uniform Movement Unknown”) ↩︎