MUTEMATH keeps the Mojave tent engaged

While by many accounts the Coachella festival was filled with jaw-dropping performances, Sunday's set by MUTEMATH was without a doubt a highlight of the festival.  While the band still has yet to break through to the audience they deserve, their fans were full force as the Mojave tent filled to the brim.
As the group set up on stage, drummer Darren King prepared for the set by duct taping his headphones around his head. MUTEMATH diehards went crazy as he warmed up and notions about the band were prematurely reinforced. This show was well on its way to become my favorite of Coachella.
While King did his drum check, fans went crazy; he hit with such intensity, that his sticks were broken. Once the show started, the four members of the New Orleans band blew the crowd away with their fusion of experimental rock dashed with true to their roots jazz influences. As if the music wasn't enough to win fans over (and bring lonely wanderers into the tent) the on stage personalities of all four members was truly unique.
During the performance, every member switched instruments. Drumsticks and mallets were traded around to add quintessential beats to the set. Lead singer Paul Meany brought out a keytar and later used an experimental theremin guitar hybrid to create amazing sounds. He dove into the crowd with this instrument and the fans made sounds while tapping on the metal.
True to MUTEMATH tradition, the final song easily served as the climax of the set in a prolonged piece that found literally every band member switching instruments and becoming airborne. Meany climbed on top of his Rhodes keyboard and did flips off of it. He'd run at the instrument, balance a headstand, and then land back on the keys. Guitarist Greg Hill played with his pedal board, adding effects to the three other members drums at the end.
Perhaps the most amazing was King, who broke apart his drum kit, and ran to the Rhodes keyboard in center stage. He then proceeded to perform a drum break on microphone stands, keyboard stands, drums and anything he could find. At the end, King grabbed his tarnished bass drum off the floor and passed it to the crowd. He had them hold it flat and slowly climbed on top of it, standing amoung a sea of lifelong fans and newly converted followers. With the rest of the band still playing on stage, King dove backwards into that sea and the set approached its end. The lights came on and looking around, the tent was filled with giant smiles and melted faces.
I've had amazing concert experiences in my life. Being front row for Justice or being at the special Thom Yorke Atom for Peace Los Angeles show had nothing on what I saw on Sunday from MUTEMATH.