of Montreal & Tele Novella Party at Crescent Ballroom for Summer Tour
Photography By: Brooke Wright
Tele Novella and of Montreal were the two bands playing the beloved Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, Arizona on June 22nd. The energy between the two complimented each other, with Tele Novella as the calm before the colorful and whimsical storm of, of Montreal.
Tele Novella caught my full attention one day when I was scrolling through my Tik-Tok ‘for you’ page, as one does, and a clip from their music video for their song Funeral popped up. It opens with frontwoman Natalie Ribbons unblinkingly pointing a revolver at the viewer while dressed in cowgirl garb, and the entire video is a dreamy and theatrical western film packed into 4 minutes. Self-described as “coin-operated medieval western songs through a psychedelic 50s-ish western lens”, the 5-piece band from Texas charmed the crowd with songs from their newest album “Poet’s Tooth” including Eggs in one Basket, Changless Kingdom, and Funeral. Natalie and guitarist Jason Chronis, the founders of the band, have made three albums together since 2016, and most recently have released a new single titled Marry Me.
One of my favorite things about seeing bands live is the way it feels like a peek behind the curtain of how the music is made. I got this feeling when they used instruments like a wooden guiro, bells, and one I’ve never seen before that resembles a small medieval spiked ball mace (nothing came up when I googled “metal spiky star instrument”). They sounded incredible, exactly like the studio recordings of their songs, and it was fun to see the band having fun especially during instrumental parts of songs. Natalie has a mesmerizing voice and I really enjoyed the harmonies between her and the keyboardist. They will continue charming the world with their sweet tunes on a new tour with La Luz!
Tele Novella: Website | Instagram | X | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube
Enter: of Montreal. Frontman Kevin Barnes (of Athens, Georgia) made a mysterious entrance on stage from behind a giant scarecrow-like figure and we were immediately thrown into a psychedelic dance party with costume changes and ever changing visuals projected onto the background. Almost every song was accompanied by dancers putting on a show of their own. Uncanny masks, bodysuits, sailors, glowing winged cryptids galore. The choreography was tailored to each song to tell a story. At one point, someone wearing fur leggings under tighty whities held a middle finger with an oversized rubber hand up to Kevin, but thankfully they squashed the beef and hugged by the end of the song.
oM was founded in 1996 and has since released 20+ albums, one to two new albums almost every year! When I think about of Montreal, I think of Gronladic Edit. This was the song that introduced me to their playful music a few years ago, and it is clearly a fan favorite by the way the crowd celebrated as soon as it started playing early into the set. “I am satisfied… Hiding in our friend’s apartment... Only leaving once a day… To buy some groceries.” It encapsulates the band’s serious commitment to unseriousness (see also: Rude Girl on Rotation for lyrics like “stepping on a scorpion to lose my erection”). They played a 17-song setlist which included Music Hurts the Head, I Was Never Young, and It’s Different for Girls. The band and the crowd kept up the high energy throughout the show, ending the night with an encore with balloons and a stage full of dancers.
Tour continues on through July 2nd!
