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Concert reviews Music

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA at Lees Palace

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA at Lees Palace on Thursday June 4. Rating: NNNN

Wheres your tequila?! some dude yelled at Ruban Neilson, as he ambled up to the centre mic while strapping on his guitar. He grinned, bent over to rescue a glass from the floor, and raised it up to cheers from the crowd.

That warmth and celebratory sense never wavered as Unknown Mortal Orchestra made their return to a venue Neilson described as a personal favourite. Though their records come across as cloudy and encased in a force field of indie rock haze, the live version of the bands ultra-proficient amalgam of soul, R&B, and rock is like having bloody gauze finally lifted from your eyes.

The short, Stevie Wonderesque stab of Like Acid Rain (from new album Multi-Love) worked as a festive opener as the killer players warmed themselves up for the extended jams to come. Songs like From The Sun bring the bands dynamic skill and idiosyncratic sound into focus, especially live where they take solos and floss, free-spirited.

On occasion Neilson has the vocal chops to conjure greats like Michael Jackson or Greens like Al and Cee-Lo. But there were various points where, after making everyone melt by singing something like How Can You Luv Me or Cant Keep Checking My Phone, hed tear into the most awe-inspiring guitar solo, which made him closer to the second coming of Prince. A grubby-looking, affable, tipsy, New Zealand-bred Prince.

Hearing a whole room of people step right into the chorus of So Good At Being In Trouble with no solicitation made the dank, piss-smelling Lees Palace some kind of holy place. That corny, summer-festival singalong vibe was in the house but it felt pure and true. Unknown Mortal Orchestra made us all feel of one spirit, just by kicking our asses.

music@nowtoronto.com | @vishkhanna

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