of Montreal dazzles raucous Majestic crowd
By Hannah Frank | Oct. 29, 2015Last year at the Majestic, I learned that going to an of Montreal show is like stepping into a psychedelic alternate universe that creates a panorama of mystifying colorful whirlwinds and glorious androgyny. This year, I was expecting nothing less, and luckily ended up being presented with even more. The show began with a set by Shaun Fleming, or Diane Coffee, the drummer from psych-rock band Foxygen. “Coffee” developed his pseudonym as homage to Nathan Pelkey’s “Mr. Coffee” and the legendary Diana Ross. He appreciated the combination of male and female inspirations to create his single name, as they played between feminine and masculine archetypes and nodded towards androgyny. While Fleming’s musical style differs slightly from Foxygen, the influence of the group’s live sets shines through his hauntingly dramatic facial configurations, sporadic and edgy movements and eerily superficial-seeming exchanges with the audience. He and his band, the Good Dogs, began their set with “Hymn,” which highlighted the magnificent talent and range of Fleming’s voice. Throughout other tunes, including “All The Young Girls” and “Eat Your Love,” Fleming solidified himself as a psych-rock fixture whose vocal and guitar-playing abilities mystified me and left me wanting to seek out his music beyond just that of Foxygen.
