The rain couldn’t keep away the creative joy that spread from the stage at the 9:30 Club Monday night as Of Montreal put on a fun show that was part rock show, part performance art, and part grooving dance party.

It’s been 30 years and with the band’s most recent album, aethermead Kevin Barnes and company have now released 20 full-length albums (not to mention a host of singles and EPs). I remember my very first Of Montreal show back in maybe 1999 on their Gay Parade tour at the Ottobar in Baltimore. Just to see how the presentations have changed over the years is a testament to Barnes’ vision. Although each album they’ve released has been different – from jangly pop to folk-styled numbers and then to electronic dance tunes – there’s this playful line that runs through it all. And aethermead is no exception. Even though it can be seen as a “break up” record, that pop sensibility is ever present.

It’s been a few years since I saw Of Montreal and I was eager to see how these new songs translate in what I was sure would be a spectacle. Once I made it to 9th and V I was a little worried. It had been drizzling and that drizzle soon turned to full-on rain, but concert goers were unperturbed as a line formed. I had anticipated an older crowd, but most of the fans there to see Of Montreal seemed to be in their teens or early 20’s. The kids are alright, as the song goes.

As if giving us an antidote to the dreary outside weather, the opening band, CorMae from Austin, Texas, became the first round as the five-piece rocketed into a set that saw high kicks, back-bends, and even one guitarist donning a giant cat head while the band had everyone crouch down to then spring up in a celebratory explosion.

If round one was exciting, Of Montreal notched it up more than a few as a giant white cut-out of a creature was wheeled onto the stage before being whisked away as the band leapt to heading straight into the fantastic “Id Engager” from Skeletal Lamping.

The stage literally lit up as colorful projections covered the huge screen at the back. Alternating rainbows and checkered animations synched to the thumping groove as Barnes sang and danced about.

As the band played, a troupe of masked dancers burst onto the stage, sometimes leaping, sometimes lurking later replaced by other masked characters that kept the crowd on their toes.

The set was pretty diverse with the punkish “When” coming on strong in between poppier songs. With such a array of sounds, you’d think it would be a tough transition from one song like the laid back pop of “Wanting on Air” from the new album to perhaps the oldest song of the set, “Sleeping in the Beetle Bug,” but it all worked. Like on a road trip, we were buckled in and enjoying the view as images and backdrops changed through the landscape of sound.

Listen to the single, “Take The Form” [official visualizer] by of Montreal below:

While the rain outside did let up outside, I’d like to think the positive vibes from inside the 9:30 Club helped to usher the dampness away. The pure joy and fun that the band created gave us all a brief respite from whatever was going on outside.

Of Montreal continue their tour through the summer, and it’s a sure cure to what ails ya.

The setlist included:

Id Engager
When
Bassem Sabry
We Will Commit Wolf Murder
Already Dreaming
Empyrean Abattoir
Blab Sabbath Lathe of Maiden
20th Century Schizofriendic Revengeoid Man
Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider
Wanting on Air
Sleeping in the Beetle Bug
Tennessee Waltz
Take the Form
Peace to All Freaks
Triumph of Disintegration
Nonpareil of Favor

Encore:
She’s a Rejecter
We Were Born the Mutants Again with Leafling
The Past Is a Grotesque Animal

Take a gander at more of Montreal photos from June 22, 2026 at the 9:30 Club. All photos are copyright David LaMason:

And take a look at photos of openers CorMae at the 9:30 Club: