Last year’s onstage antics included feathers, crazy wardrobes and boxing — but of Montreal’s lead singer, Kevin Barnes, couldn’t give any clues for the band’s upcoming show.
“It’s kind of a mystery,” he said.
Of Montreal will perform Wednesday at High Dive, located at 210 SW Second Ave., along with Pillar Point.
Originally from Athens, Georgia, the band has been performing since 1997. Florida has always been a stop on their tour route.
“I feel a sort of connection to the state, and there’s a lot of really great people that live there,” he said. “It’s also fun to be somewhere that’s a little more tropical.”
The band is known for its wild theatrics and outrageous shows.
“One time I did ride a horse on stage,” he said.
Although there likely won’t be a horse at its show, the band is planning to shock the audience.
“I’m using it as an opportunity to do something out of the ordinary,” he said.
Of Montreal’s tour began Thursday in Richmond, Virginia, and the band’s Florida run will start Tuesday. When asked how he would describe his music, Barnes listed a spew of words.
“It’s sort of glam-disco-Prague-folk music,” he said.
Of Montreal has had its fair share of band members, but Barnes has always remained constant. Another constant member has been his brother, David, who develops a lot of the album artwork and the theatrics for the shows.
“I never really know exactly what it’s going to be until the stage,” Barnes said. “But it always is very immersive, psychedelic and fun.”
Barnes said he loves working with his brother. They push each other artistically, but if a real fight were to occur, David would definitely win, Barnes joked.
“He could definitely beat me up,” he said.
With 13 released albums and a 14th in the making, the frontman is fueled by creativity.
“I’m always sort of chasing the pattern of really being excited about something and then being bored with it,” Barnes said.
But some songs he never gets bored of. He said the audience’s reaction to some of the most popular songs makes the performance worth it. The upcoming album features a mixture of collaboration and his solo work. After so many albums, Barnes continues to be inspired by the same thing.
“It’s just getting excited about a certain kind of sound… or wanting to hear something that I’m not hearing in other places,” he said.
It’s an organic process. Creating music just naturally happens, he said.
Verónica Crespo, a 20-year-old UF telecommunication and Spanish sophomore, doesn’t like concerts — but she’s willing to adjust for an of Montreal show.
“Kevin just does outrageous things to keep making music,” she said.
This will be her fifth time seeing of Montreal. Crespo said she had no expectations for the first concert. When the band started crowd surfing on a pool raft, she was amazed.
“They’re just really weird,” she said.
Barnes’ advice for anyone who hasn’t been to a concert is to come with an open mind. He loves seeing the audience dress up and embrace the show.
“I think it’s really fun when people don’t look at it as an onerous thing but look at it as more of a communal thing,” he said.
Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and can be purchased on ticketfly.com.
