KCRW’s Jason Bentley apologized afterwards for the air conditioning being busted at Sonos Studio, but I’m not entirely convinced rock-tronic duo Ratatat weren’t the ones responsible for the sauna-like temperatures inside.
With free beverages available to help people cool down, there were no real complaints inside from anyone who got to witness Ratatat‘s explosive 45-minute set. They had just come off a festival-closing performance at HARD Summer Festival that weekend, and despite the small size of Sonos, they brought their full awesome visual setup that includes a sweet light show.
Bentley noted in the interview portion of the show that Mike Stroud and Evan Mast have been at this for a decade now. It’s been five years since their last full-length album and the newly-released Magnifique was well worth the wait. “Cream on Chrome” was one of the new songs that got played early on in their Sonos performance and it had people moving their feet immediately, despite the high temperatures indoors. It’s a song that was debuted live at their Coachella set back in April.
Having seen their performance at Coachella, I was pleasantly surprised when they pulled “Wildcat” out of the hat, a favorite of many that was noticeably left off their setlist in the desert. This came not long after “Loud Pipes” another favorite off their critically-acclaimed album Classics.
Ratatat helped me turn up on a Tuesday, and it was pretty awesome to see an electronic performance where you didn’t have some dude in a neon headband next to you screaming at you to “WAIT FOR THE DROP!!!” I definitely recommend checking them out at the Mayan Theatre on September 29! They also have a date on September 28, but that’s long been sold out.
Don’t miss this performance when it gets aired on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic on August 14. See more photos from their epic Sonos Studio performance below.
Words: Mark E. Ortega
Photos courtesy of Erik Voak
