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With Animal Collective playing Merriweather Post Pavilion this weekend, I emailed a few questions to Brian Weitz (Geologist), who went to Park School with Josh Dibb (Deakin) and Dave Portner (Avey Tare). So it’s something of a homecoming for the band, which recently curated the prestigious All Tomorrow’s Parties festival and is in the midst of working out new material for its next CD. As per usual, you can expect to hear plenty of new material Saturday night, although I’ll bet the band works a few nuggets from its Merriweather Post Pavilion disc into the set.
What were your personal highlights at ATP? It was great you included some fellow Baltimoreans.
The entire weekend was amazing and seeing everyone there was such a privilege. I suppose if I had to pick one highlight it would be the set by Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. Whenever they played Baltimore in the 90's they would play 18+ clubs like Memory Lane so I never got to see them live and they've been inactive for the better part of a decade now. To get them to reunite and play at our ATP was a dream come true.
Another highlight was Khaira Arby's set. She is a singer from Mali that Josh met when he played the Festival in the Desert. She was mind blowing.
Lee Perry was phenomenal. There was very little evidence of his advanced age and for people like us—who wonder if we'll end up as lifers in music—that is very inspiring to see.
Beach House was received really well as far as I could tell—probably had one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. It did feel good to include some other Baltimore people. Entrance Band was there as well, and Guy Blakeslee is originally from Bmore. He went to Park with us.
You’re playing Merriweather. What shows have you seen there?
I have hazy memories of what I saw at MPP and what I saw at Nissan. I went with some friends to the Horde tour at one of them. I had low expectations, but the Black Crowes actually ripped! A couple years ago my wife and I went and saw the BSO do live Looney Toons scores along with the cartoons. That was pretty sweet. In high school it was by my friend Zach's house. Maybe it still is. You could hear the music through the woods sometimes.
You’re still in DC? Do you get to Baltimore often?
Yes, I’ve lived in DC, for 7 years now. My parents, brothers, and in-laws all still live in Bmore, as do Dave and Josh right now, so I am there fairly often. I was there every day from January through March of this year writing new Animal Collective songs.
