The grand opening of Music Farm Columbia was a hit success as Washed Out headlined a card featuring Keath Mead and Those Lavender Whales, getting things under way for the now up-and-running venue.
Ernest Greene, the alter-ego of Washed Out, and his production of easygoing, carefree electronica were just the timbre that the capital city needed in the middle of a week in the middle of September.
“I know it's Tuesday night but we're having a good time,” said Greene to a crowd of mostly college kids.
What made Washed Out's show so spectacular? In a word: interaction. He traded eye contact and high fives and threw small parting gifts out into the crowd as he wrapped up his show. He ran the gamut of instruments, beginning with acoustic guitar, then onto drums and onto synthesizer. The light show was multifarious, the new P.A. system was vigorous as anticipated, and the audience? Effervescent.
Washed Out's live renditions featured more pronounced electric guitar than the synth-focused recorded tracks on his albums, especially the live rendering of “Feel It All Around,” the opening theme song for "Portlandia." This gave his band's live sound some bite which was, overall, a little unfamiliar in some places but a nice touch in others.
As Music Farm Columbia continues to book the big national acts, it is clear that the mid-size music venue has a lot to offer in it's delicate mix of having room to breathe alongside closeness with the artist. For Washed Out, that combination payed off.