The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

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Beck opened with "Loser." Talk about instantly winning over a crowd - a good portion of the audience mouthed along with the semi-non-sensical lyrics, and kept their lips moving Franny-like for the rest of the show. Mellow Gold came out fourteen years ago, and because this was an eighteen-plus show, this means some of the concertgoers were only four years old when it dropped. And they knew the words, too, which is kind of awesome.

In the last decade-and-a-half, Beck's released seven or eight major label albums, depending on whether you count Guerolito or not. His career has been in turns quiet and not-so-quiet, often depending on the status of his romantic relationships. Tonight he was loud, though, man.

There's a rumor going around that this might be his final tour, in which case the hit-heavy set list makes sense. Aside from Mutations, he played songs off every album, including "Where It's At," "Lost Cause," "Nicotine and Gravy," "Black Tambourine," and "Devil's Haircut." To hear these tracks grouped together was sort of ecstatically overwhelming. What's great is that Beck and his band - a drummer, a bassist, a really hot guitarist, and a strangely Garth-like keyboardist/sampler-ist - don't just play the songs as they sound on the CDs; every piece was tweaked a bit, not unrecognizably so, but enough to make it new and surprising.

Speaking of playing songs as they are on the albums, I can't help myself from mentioning and questioning the opening act, MGMT. They were cool, perhaps too cool, with those white-plastic-framed sunglasses and bad haircuts. But that's aight - I dig a little ‘tude from young musicians. Their set was solid, though unremarkable. If there was any problem it was the venue - Roy Wilkins has concrete floors and walls which I think are conducive to echoes, and so MGMT's already ambient sounds melted together maybe too much. I'm confused by their decision to play their hit song, "Kids," without instrumental back-up, instead opting for the recorded track. Band founders Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden ditched their guitar and keys, and met midstage to sing and do a mini-can-can. Still, it was the only part of their set where they showed any real emotion. It seems their performance is dictated by an inverse relationship - they can be exciting without instruments, or subdued with them.

Meanwhile, Beck's persona is certainly low-key, but - and maybe this is the wealth of fifteen years spent performing - he has charisma like a motherfucker. All he had to do was whisper ‘jump' and that weird girl in front of me with the short hair and her weird boyfriend with the long hair started going up and down. It was some serious Star Wars-type power. I wonder how long it's been since he's actually sympathized with losers.

Notes: Props to the crowd for using real cigarette lighters when Beck played his Sea Change stuff, instead of just holding open cell phones for their LED lights. Props to the tambourine guy on stage who at least tried to hit on the guitarist, and for wearing a ridiculous jumpsuit. Demerits for that one kid who tried to crowd surf. Props to the heavily pixilated movie screen behind the stage that now and then showed cool images of trees and leaves and Beck.