The Internet Bring their Hive Mind Tour to MTelus

By: Sun Noor

After supporting Gorillaz for a short run of their “The Now Now” North American tour back in October, The Internet expanded their tour, making their way back to Montreal to play their first headlining show in the city. The neo -soul collective were also joined by the Los Angeles based trio, Moonchild as openers for the remainder of their tour.

The Internet treated fans with a new project this year following the three year gap between their previous record Ego Death. They released their fourth full-length record this Summer, titled, Hive Mind. The record generated widespread acclaim as the album undoubtedly surpassed its expectation. The track list contains many funky, upbeat and melodic numbers alongside a few ballads. Some of my favourite tracks include “Roll (Burbank Funk)” which is essentially characterized by a heavy, ear-pleasing bass line and “La Di Da” which draws influences from rap and hip hop with the rhythmic verses building up to a smooth, harmonized chorus. As well, the album runs more on the experimental realm, given that the outfit incorporated elements from various different genres such as jazz and blues. Their new songs also undoubtedly enhanced their setlist with the smooth transitions between tracks.

One of the most alluring aspects from the band’s live show is definitely their new stage set up, which was essentially comprised of a giagantic living room with the fluorescent visuals coming from a backdrop that resembled a television screen. The chill and cozy yet detailed set up perfectly complimented their soothing sounds without taking much attention from the musicians. The band’s lead vocalist, Syd oozed with presence, despite being quite shy and reserved. Both her and the band’s guitarist Steve Lacy who also provides vocals on most tracks had quite the overpowering presence as they both interacted quite a bit with the audience. Before culminating their set, the band decided to tone it down a bit by playing one of their ballads. They dedicated, “It Gets Better (With Time)” to the late rapper Mac Miller.

The Internet’s setlist consisted of: