Montreal-based indie band Plants and Animals stopped by The Mohawk Place in Buffalo, N.Y. on Thursday April 19 as part of a tour in the U.S. and Canada to promote their new album The End of That.
Buffalo-based band Aircraft, regulars at The Mohawk Place, opened the show with its own uniquely out-there but energetic take on modern psychedelic music, playing songs mostly off the band’s recent demo.
Plants and Animals went on around 10 p.m., opening with a jam before moving into “Crisis!” from The End of That. The band shifted back and forth between songs from its new album and 2008’s Parc Avenue. Throughout the show the band maintained a high level of energy fueled largely by the talents of lead guitarist Nicolas Basque. Standout tracks included “Control Me” and “Feedback in the Field.”
About midway through the set, Plants and Animals delved into the slower part of the set, playing “Game Shows” from 2010’s La La Land and “No Idea” from The End of That brilliantly. Vocalist Warren Spicer’s quiet intensity drove each song.
The band brought back its high energy for most of the remainder of the set, especially on “The Mama Papa,” before closing the set with The End of That’s lead single “Lightshow” and Parc Avenue’s “Faerie Dance.”
Before wrapping up, Plants and Animals put on an outstanding encore, which was possibly the highlight of the evening. Like the whole set itself, the calm of “Undone Melody” and “Bye Bye Bye” intensified wonderfully before giving way to one final jam, closing the set by building up to a summation of its parts.
Plants and Animals put on a consistent and thoroughly enjoyable show and Aircraft’s set was similarly inspired. The group of high school-aged kids moshing all night was problematic considering the venue’s modest size, but both bands managed to play off the increased crowd energy quite nicely, while the rest of the audience members didn’t seem to mind.
This also speaks to the widening appeal of Plants and Animals, a band that has described itself as “post-classic rock,” not traditional musical territory for moshers. So far, Plants and Animals has produced some fantastic songs and its members clearly know how to play them live for whatever crowd will listen.