Caribou’s Hooked-Filled Night at the Fox

Caribou
Fox Theatre, Oakland
February 16, 2022

Photos by Jon Bauer

Caribou emerged from the stage haze…to start a set of contrasts: uptempo backtracks / sultry lyrics, bright bold lights/ambient stage fog, dance beats/reflective tunes. The trance-inducing light show met the approval of an appreciative audience. The middle section of the show featured black and white lights a la peg boards with sweeping spot lights over the crowd and playful sounds woven into bass forward dance pieces building to a musical and light crescendo suggesting what Yeats’s “the centre cannot hold” might sound and look like in a dance club. Next up a slight reset with a few vocal forward songs.

After a COVID delay, both band and fans enjoyed the time at the always stunning Fox Theatre. And the hooks the band is known for did exactly that – hooked the audience.

As a one-person act, Ela Minus opened for Caribou entering the stage with her synths anticipating her arrival. With her rattle-around-your-chest beats, she layered a higher register tonal complement and understated vocals. The magenta dominant light show completed the moody atmosphere. Her 45-minute set ended as she slipped away with her synths still beating out a twinkling medley of sounds.

Here’s a slideshow with more photos by Jon Bauer: