Recap Caribou at First Avenue

As far as the indie zodiac goes, 2010 might end up being the year of the Caribou. Dan Snaithʼs decade-long synth-y brainchild has been picking up steam and fans steadily since he switched from his former moniker, Manitoba, and made 2007ʼs Andorra. Yet, it was this year’s Swim that really brought the Canadian electro-guru into the light. And with good reason: Swimʼs complex, groovy electro-pop feel, the layering and expert production, and its danceable vibe have cemented Snaithʼs status as a master. The album will also make him a shoe-in for more than a few “best of” lists, come December. However, as with all synth-heavy electronic music, thereʼs that inherent fear that, once the ambient bliss is put on a live stage, the man behind the curtain will be revealed to be a guy with a laptop and a couple of keyboards.

So, did last night’s show successfully convey the energy encapsulated in Snaithʼs music? If there were an award for “Best Goddamn Twin Cities Monday Night Dance Party,” Caribou would get it. Expelling any myths that electronica is humdrum live, Snaith and his criminally spot-on three-piece took the stage at First Avenue and launched headfirst into an hour-and-10-minute orgasm of sound. With Snaith at the helm and frenzied drummer Brad Weber at his side shoveling rhythmic coal into the fire, Caribouʼs performance was almost preternatural in energy. Flowing cool, focused, and streamlined from the start, Snaith and crew brought “Leave House,” an early-in-the-set crowd-pleaser, up to a feverish pitch, drawing big cheers from an impressively large crowd. Moving from song to song with constant breakneck momentum, Caribouʼs strength lay in its ability to build the sound as a team, veering into experiment at times, but always reining in the sound with an understanding of control. Snaithʼs turns on percussion were a definite plus—who doesnʼt love two drummers? And Caribouʼs organic feel—the fact that it was all happening live with nary a laptop in sight—made the show all the more enchanting to watch. Combine that with the epilepsy-triggering light show, four performers who genuinely seemed to be having a great time on stage, and Swimʼs single “Odessa” as the spectacular closer, and it was a set difficult to top (at least until the even stronger and explosively chaotic encore of “Sun”).