MGMT pleased an appreciative crowd for perhaps the shortest set of the weekend, as a delayed start gave their ’70s disco-influenced pop rock only twenty-five minutes to work its magic. Playing a brief mix of songs from their debut LP, the band managed to make its presence known despite the time constraints, as they showed no fear of vocal harmonizing and setting a solid beat. Not even their own audiophilic tendencies and general unattractiveness could hold back their rhythm driven sound.
The sometimes embarrassing cheesiness of their lyrics was less a presence live than on the album, as their wannabe rockstar declarations didn’t have enough time to sink in, which is definitely a good thing. But MGMT has plenty of potential, and it’s a shame they weren’t given long enough to show what all they have in their musical arsenal. At least—when they were told they had to stop playing—the crowd voiced its displeasure loud enough to make it obvious that their short-lived set was a good one.
