Live Review: Tune-Yards, DD Dumbo

Shrouded in a stage of drum kits, bongos and keyboards, Victorian DD Dumbo (or Oliver Perry) launched his voice across the OAF, intertwining his sweet Merrill Garbus-esque vocal range with looping beats and melodies. A true child of the headliners’ heart, there could not have been a better support, Perry creating the well-needed ripple in the crowd that would soon become a wave.

Kicking off with this year’s release, Sink-O, Tune-Yards mastermind Garbus locked her eyes forward, staring down fans hanging on her every movement. As the song reached its climax, her choreographed drumming and back-up singers/dancers bounced and flailed in a rush of colour. All five members of the band, including sole male, bassist Nate Brennan, were decked out in tight, bright outfits and glitter, New England’s Garbus adorned in a red leather top with gold puffy sleeves. It’d be truly difficult to image Tune-Yards any other way.

An experimental mix between indie-pop, Afrobeat, lo-fi and more, Tune-Yards not only showcased their excitingly odd and upbeat repertoire, but also demonstrated their catalogue’s musical complexity. Keeping the crowd enthralled with the help of a loop pedal, Garbus seamlessly recorded intricate percussion and layered vocal harmonies, Powa showcasing her amazing vocal range in three-part harmony alongside the hero of the night, her ukulele.

Tonight’s five-piece mainly showcased the new, third record, Nikki Nack, Left Behind shining above the rest, a cappella voices and sass filling the room. Meanwhile, usual favourite, Bizness, and this year’s single, Water Fountain, were naturally met with love.

However, the band’s jovial attitude was probably the night’s highlight, Garbus exaggerating her characteristic gibberish during a killer rendition of Gangsta, with laughter all around. This is not to confuse frivolity with a lack of focus. You can’t deny their professionalism. Tune-Yards are an acquired taste but sometimes you just gotta relax and have a dance.