Animal Collective at Metro, Jan. 22

I was really looking forward to Animal Collective returning to Chicago after their outstanding performance at last summer's Pitchfork Music Festival. I was hoping they'd be able to recreate the atmosphere and mood in an indoor environment. Unfortunately, I was a bit let down, as the band performed for only a tad over one hour.

After playing about nine or ten songs, the group left the stage. I wondered if they could possibly be taking a set break -- it was much too soon for an encore. Two of the band members -- Panda Bear and Geologist -- returned to the stage and informed the crowd that Avey Tare was sick and he threw out his voice. The two played one song and then the lights came on.

Under normal circumstances, I would say this would have been a disastrous concert. But despite its brevity, it was still enjoyable. The sound (which is very unpredictable at Metro) was pretty good, although I thought the vocals should have been a bit louder. AC played mostly songs off their new album, "Merriweather Post Pavilion," as well as the opener from the album "Sung Tongs." The songs flowed nicely and there were definitely some high-intensity moments.

However, I didn't think the performance translated well to the indoor setting. Their music seemed more natural outside on a summer night. Looking back at the show, Avey Tare definitely took a back seat. He played guitar on only one or two songs, and I couldn't see him for a lot of the show. I think the lack of his presence really took a lot away from the concert. One of my favorite parts of AC is the balance between the two singers and their differences in song-writing styles. This balance was definitely shifted toward Panda Bear.

So overall, it was a fun show, but, ultimately, disappointing.