of Montreal — Too Weird for Hollywood?

When I tell you that of Montreal's set at the Hollywood Palladium included machine gun-wielding fish, straight-jacketed dancers, men in checkered body suits, and mimed intercourse with pigs, I don't expect you to "get it." Frankly, I don't think I did either. An of Montreal show is something to be appreciated, regardless of whether it makes any sense or not.

This was the Athens, GA band’s sole stop in Southern California as they tour in support of their tenth record, False Priest. Opening the show was up-and-coming soul-pop singer Janelle Monáe. Over her hour-long set, she displayed command of the stage and would be a threat to upstage most headliners as an opening act.

The seasoned of Montreal took the stage with skirt-and-tights-clad frontman Kevin Barnes at the helm. They dazzled the audience with a nearly two-hour set, drawing heavily from False Priest but serving up a smattering of older hits as well. Between the frantic dancing, infectious glam pop, and aforementioned surrealist theatrics, it was a night steeped in sensory overload. Some four hours after entering, the sweat-drenched audience departed from a concert both incomprehensible and unforgettable.

• Concert: of Montreal w/ Janelle Monáe
• Date: October 30
• Venue: Hollywood Palladium
• Seats: Standing, middle, 3 rows from the front