The funny thing about Animal Collective is that even some of its fans have trouble describing what they think of this Baltimore-bred band. After stepping out of the photo pit and into the crowd at their Lollapalooza set at the PlayStation stage, I ran into listeners of Animal Collective that I know, and the most they could say is that they have to be in a certain mood for the music. Is it mood music? Maybe. Of course, the die-hard fans in the front row, with the multi-colored paw tracks painted on their faces might argue otherwise.

More than any other band I saw at Lollapalooza, Animal Collective inspired the greatest zone out atmosphere. In fact, this was probably the last place at Lolla you would find crowd surfers. Things were so at ease that security might as well have taken a break. Lead singer and sometimes guitarist Avey Tare has a lot do with this hipppy-esque phenomenon. Essentially, he kept his eyes closed almost the entire set, mostly standing still in a meditative state. In turn, many members of the audience followed suit, letting the group’s trippy electronic-edged rock carry them away.

Avey’s escapist presence alongside the similarly subdued stage-personalities of Geologist and Panda Bear are far from showy. The zone out feel of their set partially derives from musicians who don’t care to create a huge spectacle. Rather, with their progressive psychedelic rock, they let the music speak for itself. From an outsider’s perspective, I do think they could do more to enhance the overall performance, but the fans looked like they were appreciating renditions of both new and older material­—even if their reactions were subtle.

Words and photos by Max Herman