The Sydney Opera House will present two long-awaited debuts when seminal alt-rockers The Breeders take over the Concert Hall for one night, followed by a hypnotic performance in the Joan Sutherland Theatre by electronic genius and Animal Collective co-founder, Panda Bear.
“The Breeders and Panda Bear’s music means an enormous amount to me and we’ve waited nearly a decade to welcome each immensely talented act here,” says Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall. “Panda Bear’s kaleidoscopic transmutation of electronic music into something radiantly psychedelic locates him within the elastically received tradition of past presentations of Caribou, Four Tet and Jon Hopkins and this very rare appearance is unlikely to be repeated.
There’s very little I can add to the writing on the significance of Kim Deal and The Breeders that hasn’t already been said (you must read Neil Gaiman’s recent band bio), except to say they are a colossal inspiration, a magnificent live band and are overdue this grand welcome to the Sydney Opera House’s Concert Hall stage this summer.”
Led by alt-rock figure Kim Deal, The Breeders return to Australia with the band’s iconic line up – twin sister and lead guitarist Kelley, bassist Josephine Wiggs and drummer Jim MacPherson – for a debut headline show on the Concert Hall stage. A core member of influential nineties band Pixies, Deal had aspirations for other projects and in 1989 formed The Breeders with Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donelly.
Success came with the breakthrough and subsequently platinum album Last Splash (1993) including recognisable hit ‘Cannonball’, a music video directed by Kim Gordon and Spike Jonze, and a year on the road with Nirvana’s In Utero tour. Reuniting in 2013 on the 20th anniversary of Last Splash after numerous hiatuses, re-iterations and dismantling, the definitive group wrote and recorded new material in analogue form for their highly anticipated new album, All Nerve which will be performed in full alongside their powerful, classic hits in the Concert Hall.
In December, Panda Bear will make his Australian debut in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, bringing longtime fans and new audiences into his enchanting audio visual, chillwave world – a genre he deeply influenced. Under the moniker Panda Bear, Noah Lennox’s 2007 breakout solo album Person Pitch topped numerous ‘Album of the Year’ lists with Noisey praising the album for “inspiring an entire generation of indie-situated artists to ditch their guitars, grab a sampler or two, and craft entire sonic worlds from the comfort of their bedrooms.”
Sun-drenched sampling coupled with introspective lyrics, Panda Bear’s music has summoned comparisons to the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. A nomadic artist, Lennox never stops experimenting, comfortably mixing electronic and psychedelic sounds with guitar and percussions across six albums including his latest 12-inch vinyl only record, A Day with the Homies.
Sydney Opera House presents The Breeders by arrangement with Handsome Tours.
Sydney Opera House presents Panda Bear by arrangement with Penny Drop and Chugg Entertainment.
LINKS
- The Breeders return with Wait In The Car on Later… with Jools
- Panda Bear: MoMA PS1 Boiler Room Live Set
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