Unknown Mortal Orchestra at Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, June 14, 2019

Ruban Nielson didn't waste any time - on the very first song of Unknown Mortal Orchestra's set at Variety Playhouse last night, he launched into an extended electric guitar jam/freakout, playing a part of the solo sitting back in the egg-shell chair conspicuously present on the stage, and other parts walking among the audience followed by a six-foot fluorescent light.

And things only took off from there.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, in case you don't know (and the show appeared to be sold out, so you're apparently in the minority if you don't), is a Portland, Oregon-based psychedelic rock band primarily composed of New Zealand singer, guitarist, and songwriter Ruban Nielson, along with bassist Jake Portrait. They're released five albums to date, four of which consist of their quirky take on rock songs and the fifth a progressive set of jazz-rock instrumentals recorded in Hanoi.

The set was loud and the stage beautiful - racks of hydroponic plants behind the band looked like some sort of botanical laboratory and Nielson's egg-shell chair added to the comfy retro-futuristic look.  The band rocked the songs harder than the recorded versions sound like they were intended to be, and the band would jam out at the drop of a hat, lending credence to the recent Washington Post article about how all your favorite indie bands are now jam bands.

UMO played a great set list of songs across all four of their rock albums, from early favorite like Ffunny Ffriends to an encore performance of the new Hunnybee.  We honestly don't think there was a song they played that we didn't know.

For obvious reasons, the personnel from the Hanoi recording (including Ruban's father on saxophone) weren't available and it was impossible for them to have covered any of those songs. Pity, as the album is nothing short of a post-punk jazz-rock masterpiece, reminiscent at times of everything from Alice Coltrane to Jack Johnson-era Miles.  We would love to hear Nielson cover these songs live sometime (Big Ears would seem like the perfect venue).