Caribou rocks the Waldron Arts Center

On Friday night, the John Waldron Arts Center provided an intimate atmosphere for experimental rock, as art rockers Caribou and U.K. rock outfit Fuck Buttons played an all-ages show to a diverse audience. Spirit of ’68 Promotions president and show organizer Dan Coleman said the Waldron Arts Center was “the perfect venue for the show.”\nA casual Caribou fan, Coleman became eager to bring the art-rock outfit to Bloomington after he listened to the band’s 2007 release “Andorra.” \n“The band has a ’60s psychedelic, Beach Boys vibe to it, and the new album is very lush and rich,” he said.\nLondon electronic duo Fuck Buttons took the stage shortly after 9 p.m. to open the show. The group consists of Benjamin Power and Andrew Hung. The two situated themselves on opposite ends of a table, each operating an array of technological- sounding gizmos, audio mixers, voice manipulators, synthesizers and a floor tom, which made for constant rhythmic pulsations. The set lasted about an hour.\nWhile the audience remained seated for much of the Fuck Buttons’ performance, it formed a tight wall around Caribou as soon as they took the stage. The result was a high-octane energy that flowed back and forth between band and audience, accented with brilliant background visuals and stunning light effects. \nThe four-piece band began with the traditional bass/drum/twin-guitar attack, then quickly delved into musical uniqueness. In addition to playing synthesizer and xylophone, singer/guitarist/front-man Dan Snaith played dueling drums with drummer Ahmed Gallab. Audience member and longtime Caribou fan Ben Tousley particularly enjoyed the heavy drum sound. \n“The double drums added a lot to the show and made the music sound huge like on the (Caribou) record,” he said. “It was pretty insane. This is definitely one of the more highly anticipated shows of the summer.” \nGallab is currently filling in for original drummer Brad Weber, who broke his wrist a few weeks ago, Snaith said. The two joined guitarist Ryan Smith and bassist/back-up vocalist Andy Lloyd on stage. Snaith, who possesses a Ph.D. in mathematics, writes and records all of the band’s music. He approaches his live shows much differently than his studio recordings. \n“In the studio it’s all about exploring, following my intuition,” he said. “(Playing) live is a totally different thing, much more spontaneous and more excitement.”