Meow Wolf welcomed English indie-pop band Superorganism last Thursday to their flashy stage. With a colorful set decorated by the band in glitter face paint, hooded cloaks and projections of prawns, they brought an engaging and entertaining show.
Though the eight-person group seemed organic on stage, they did not always preform together. In fact, the band is an amalgamation of musicians from across the world.
The group got together in early 2017, after four of its members — Mark Turner (Emily), Christopher Young (Harry), Timothy "Tim" Shann (Tucan), and Blair Everson (Robert Strange)— decided to forge a new musical sound. Electronically passing around an MP3 file, the group, mostly from London, reached out to lead vocalist Orono Noguchi to collaborate.
For the band, Noguchi was defining. Standing under five feet tall, dressed in a baggy tee, loose pants, and a gold chain, her effortless aesthetic mesmerized audience members. Originally from Japan, Noguchi added a different look to the group, especially because she is over a decade younger than most of the band’s members.
During the concert, group members B, Ruby and Soul held little, light-up, moon orbs. Shaking and waving them around, they performed choreographic gibberish while harmonizing with Noguchi. The three backup singers were very expressive, reflecting the sounds of the songs with their body moments. At one point, they even swayed like seaweed.
“I loved their stage personas, especially how tight a group they were despite all being so different,” said Dewey Devivi, a student at the University of New Mexico. “I liked the set list but wish it was longer, and I think the way they use props on stage is worth considering for other artists who perform.”
In between songs, Noguchi would speak to the audience, asking questions such as what they had for dinner and what day it was. Admiringly looking up at Noguchi, the crowd was happy to engage in harmless banter. For the show, the dead pan commentary from Noguchi acted as a perfect balance to Superorganism’s wild stage antics.
“I found out Superorganism from a friend who lives in Portland, Oregon about a year ago,” said Jessica Weber, a UNM student. “They had a lot of really cool lighting and which made the concert very entertaining for everyone. It was super interactive and I really liked the show.”
Currently, Superorganism only has its one, self-titled, album out. The show featured hits including "Something for Your M.I.N.D." and “Everybody Wants to be Famous.” This was the group’s first time in New Mexico and also their first time performing at an interactive art exhibit like Meow Wolf.
“I thought performing at Meow Wolf was great fun. Thank you for having us,” lead singer, Noguchi, said. “This is different than any other venue we’ve been to because this is an amusement park and there were actually a lot of kids here. It was dope."
Superorganism is now continuing their tour through the United States and will later travel internationally. Countries in their self-titled tour include Germany, Spain, Slovakia and Japan. Their music can be found on Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify and more.
Luisa Pennington is a freelance reporter with the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @_lpennington_.
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