The Hollywood Palladium is a legendary concert venue on Sunset Boulevard, around since the 1940s. Although not located on the part of the Sunset Strip known mostly for rock ‘n’ roll excess and debauchery, it has its own iconic history. Everyone you can think of has played there, from the Grateful Dead to Led Zeppelin to The Rolling Stones, Pixies, Turnstile, IDLES, Beastie Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Nine Inch Nails…
It’s one of my favorite Los Angeles venues, and playing The Palladium makes an artist part of a pretty impressive collective history. Selling out a few nights is something to be proud of.
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On February 23rd, Gorillaz returned to the Hollywood Palladium for the second of two sold-out performances to celebrate their new album, The Mountain, by performing it in full. The show felt both tightly controlled and, in a way, loose. The venue is mid-size capacity; I’ve always appreciated the intimacy of it, but it’s not so small that you think the room will lack impact. It was a packed house for Gorillaz, and yet there was a sense that everyone would make room for each other.
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Damon Albarn entered without ceremony — no theatrical pause, no elongated build. Dressed head to toe in camouflage with his sunglasses on (those barely came off), he immediately and effortlessly took command of the room. He comes across very comfortable in his skin, that one. That has always been his strength. He has always done as he would do wherever life finds him. He’s just Damon. There were times during the show he seemed so carefree and relaxed that I thought maybe he felt he was at home in his living room or in his backyard just having a pleasant day.
In fact, I’ve never attended a show at The Palladium where it felt like we were all so zen that we might possibly be about to sit down in a circle and meditate together. During opening song “The Mountain,” it felt very transcendental, the audience fully captivated and centered.
Gorillaz, photo by Pooneh Ghana
It’s tricky when a band plays a new album from front to back before fans have had a chance to hear what they’ve been up to. But not on this night. The fresh visuals were thoughtful in the way they suggested where this new chapter of Gorillaz is going. During “Happy Dictator,” lyrics flashed on the screen and encouraged a collective chanting of “Oh what a happy land we live in!” Everyone was dancing and screaming the words.
I am lucky enough to have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with The Mountain ahead of its February 27th release, and I can confidently confirm that the journey meant to be experienced through this album — which is life, death, what is in between, and what might come after — came through.
The stage design was minimal compared to past Gorillaz shows. It wasn’t a big arena or festival production, but it did set the space. The focus stayed on the live band and the screen visuals that have always been central to the Gorillaz universe. The animated members flickered across the backdrop in bursts, getting a reaction from the crowd every time they did. It’s like seeing your most fun friends, the ones you might get into a little good trouble with.
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