Tame Impala’s bio says they make “make psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock music.”  And to be honest, it’s a pretty accurate description.  The Red Marquee was absolutely rammed for the Australian quintet’s Friday night headlining set.  And for good reason, too!  The band’s Lonerism sophomore effort received rave reviews around the world, and respected publications like Pitchfork, Spin, The Guardian, Uncut, and the BBC all selected it as one of the top albums of 2012.

A video screen set up behind the group played a continuous stream of hypnotic colorful shapes throughout the performance.  It definitely added an extra level of trippiness to Tame Impala’s fantastic, spaced-out jams.  Flying Lotus started slightly before Tame Impala over on the White Stage and had similarly cool visuals, but because he was set up behind his projection screen it made it more challenging for audience members to feel a connection with him.  Tame Impala didn’t have the same problem.  Although each member kept their head down as the band turned out their swirling sounds, the audience remained completely engrossed in the hour-long performance.

Playing cuts from Lonerism and their 2010 Innerspeaker debut, each song was met with a roar of approval from the swaying audience.  Tracks like “Elephant” and “Endor Toi” all sounded great.  Part-way through Tame Impala’s set, rain started to fall.  Lightning could be seen through the gap at the top of the Red Marquee between the walls and the ceiling.  The bright flashes of light accented the music and visuals really well, and added even more of a psychedelic feel to the proceedings.

At one point during the show, band leader Kevin Parker told the crowd, “We’ve been to many festivals around the world.  But this is probably the most beautiful one we’ve been too.”  Although his words were absolutely true, they still earned him and the rest of Tame Impala extra favor with the crowd.  Sure everyone in attendance is well aware of how amazing Fuji Rock is.  But that doesn’t mean we’re not susceptible to flattery!