"Ariel Pink and His Haunted Graffiti"

Show: March 30, 2009 @ The El Mocambo, Toronto, ON.
I went into the El Mocambo not knowing what to expect. An Ariel Pink show is like a flip of a coin. He is notoriously known for having temper tantrums on stage, constantly asking for sound adjustments, or even leaving the stage altogether. I was hoping for the other side of the coin where Ariel would keep it all together and put on a great performance.

I was speculating his every move, as a sign that the show may dissolve into a lo-fidelity massacre. He started with a very long sound check for his monitors, making sure his reverb, chorus, and pitch shift wouldn’t cause feedback. For the first few songs, Ariel was lying down on the stage (making me fear for the worst) but the crowd reaction to his music helped immensely.

After the band’s new song, Ariel’s live performance was as frenetic and frenzied as his records. He was humping his mic stand, running through the audience, rolling around on his belly, and whistling nonsensically whenever he could.

Ariel and his Haunted Graffiti played fan favourites, “For Kate I Wait,” “Are You Going to Look after My Boys,” and “Interesting Results,” all of which sounded warm and luscious with a full band. Ariel Pink was on the ball on this March night, which meant he was just as wacky as you wanted him to be