Tame Impala’s Record Setting, Psychedelic Show at Nationwide Arena

For many fans, a Tame Impala show is something considered to be a “bucketlist” item and after the transcending, record setting show at Nationwide Arena; it was quickly clear why his shows make that list. Even on a Tuesday night, Tame Impala packed the arena with 18,000+ fans and rewarded us with an unforgettable night of colorful lights, gobs of confetti, care-free dancing, and electric performances from start to finish. 

Opening up the night for the first time on the Deadbeat tour was alternative/indie pop artist Dominic Fike. Despite his nervous demeanor and revealing to the crowd this was his first ever time performing in an arena, his popular songs “Babydoll” and “3 Nights” got the crowd moving and energy high for the highly anticipated main act to come out.

As the countdown for Tame Impala to take the stage began to dwindle, lights in the arena went pitch black and cheers erupted throughout. As the first notes of "Apocalypse Dreams” hummed through the air, supporting band members took their places on the stage, and the second Parker could be spotted under the singular spotlight, he had fans in a trance.

Parker walked the large center stage with grace, making circles around the stage and jumping down near the barricade to give all the fans more intimate moments to remember from the show. Upbeat, iconic songs like “Let It Happen” and “Eventually” brought roars from the crowd like I’ve never witnessed, and light shows that filled the arena with ease. The colorful lights and lasers managed to hit every corner of the crowd and revealed people dancing at every glance. 

The Australian artist Kevin Parker aka Tame Impala is without a doubt a generational talent. In the studio, he writes, records, produces, and performs all of the project's music, and has since his start in Perth in 2007. “Did you know Tame Impala is just one guy?” is a commonly heard joke online, as it was unknown to most that a project as impressive and intricate as Tame Impala could ever be produced from one person. However, as a touring group, Tame Impala consists of Kevin Parker (vocals, guitar, synthesiser), Dominic Simper (guitar, synthesiser), Jay Watson (synthesiser, vocals, guitar), Cam Avery (bass guitar, vocals, synthesiser), Julien Barbagallo (drums, vocals), and James Ireland (guitar, synthesiser). The talented group have truly mastered performing as a unit and working together to put on an unforgettable show night after night. 

Parker was wonderful with the crowd and left the fans with countless memorable moments throughout the night from the very start. Before letting the show begin, he displayed a beautiful tribute to “Queen of Country” Dolly Parton when videos of her singing “I Will Always Love You” covered every LED screen in the arena. News of her passing was released early that day, and Parker made multiple mentions of the iconic singer and how heartbroken he was over the news, even singing a little snippet of “Jolene” before continuing on with the show.

Switching the energy up, halfway through the show Parker made his way to a small side stage placed in the crowd that was covered with warm toned lamps, some pillows, and rugs; the perfect homey setup for intimate performance that followed. He sat on the stage with one lone spotlight and slowed the night down with renditions of “Ethereal Connection” and “Not My World.” Fans watched in awe as he gave a raw, beautiful glimpse into the other side of his music. 

Tame Impala’s performance was a psychedelic, transformative experience that’s possibly too incredible to put into words. It was immersive. The way you could watch people completely lose themselves in the music was unlike anything I had ever witnessed. Not only does Tame Impala’s music mean everything to the people in the crowd, his shows are the perfect example of how witnessing an artist live can be absolutely life changing.

Photos and Review by Maddie Culbertson