This post is from Out the Other's 2009 Bonnaroo Artist Previews, where I'll be posting previews of all the musical acts playing the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Please check out and subscribe to the full site to learn more about all of this year's performers.
It's an awesome thing that the world is full of second chances. Specifically here, I'm talking about musical second chances - like the fact that you can always give an album another listen, and that a good chunk of the time another opportunity will come around for you to see a band play live. Of course, that's not always true, but with up-and-coming indie-ish acts, it's a little more likely.
Why am I going on about second chances? Because the first time I saw MGMT, I pretty much hated them. Not like loathed-them-so-much-I-walked-out, but given the opportunity, I probably would have bailed mid-set. It was at SXSW in 2008, I really hadn't heard anything off of Oracular Spectacular, my sis and friends reeeeally wanted to go, it was at this bizarre setting in a Mexican restaurant, I had been drinking all day and was sobering up in the worst way and just wanted to curl up and go to bed, the venue was packed, the crowd was rowdy and pushy and old-guy frat-ish, and all I could think was that the band sounded like Rush. Basically the recipe for a miserable show, so it's no surprise I didn't emerge as MGMT's #1 fan.
But you know what? Second chances. After going home that year, I started listening to Oracular Spectacular, the duo's full-length debut, and while it didn't earn a spot in my list of favorite 2008 releases, I became OBSESSED with a few of its tracks - and still am. And every time I've heard "Kids" or "Time to Pretend" in the past year, I've given myself a little internal kick for not being in the right headspace to enjoy their SXSW set thirteen months ago. Because surely after being fangirl-devoted enough to have "Kids" as my ringtone for the better part of last summer and fall, I would have been pushing and dancing and having a blast just like those dreaded old frat guys who were the bane of my existence that night.
Needless to say, I'm pretty psyched about having another opportunity to see MGMT at this year's Bonnaroo. The band has been working on new material for a follow-up to Oracular Spectacular, and if they come up with anything half as catchy as "Kids" you can bet I'll have my ringtone for the rest of 2009.
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