Animal Collective closed out the Celebrate Brooklyn season last night with a killer two-hour set that included most of the tracks from their new album, Merriwether Post Pavilion, along with older tunes and some electronic improv. Their music is basically experimental, layering in African rhythms over multi-track electronics and Panda Bear's soaring vocals. But, they have also have an infectious pop sensibility that had the crowd singing and dancing along throughout - even to the tricky meters in "My Girls." Packing the Prospect Park Bandshell on two consecutive nights, it felt like the start of something big.  (More pics below.)

Yesterday was clear, warm, and the perfect day to visit to P.S. 1's weekly summer dance party Warm Up, which offers DJ's and dancing in the old public school courtyard - and installation art indoors. Warm Up, now in its 10th year, has established itself as the go-to spot for the non-Hamptons set, with a warm, sunny vibe similar to other outdoor weeklies like Montreal's Piknic Electronik (without the Calder.)

Kicking off things yesterday was an hour-long set by Todd P stalwarts Growing: a three-piece that lives in drone-land, courtesy of guitars, keyboards, and live electronics. With only a handful of early arrivals in the courtyard, their sound approached MBV volume, if lacking the elder band's texture and complexity. (They headlined a second show last night at LPR.)

It was a surprisingly seamless transition to House of Stank's DJ set, which got the crowd up and moving with bass-heavy house and techno. Late in the set, the crowd went nuts for a mash-up of Beethoven's 5th, full of pounding bass and soaring crescendos that made the disco classic "A Fifth of Beethoven" sound like weak tea. I don't spend much time at DJ things these days, but makes you wonder what else the kids are grooving to these days. (More pics below.) 

Dougie Bowne is a well-known musician/producer who's worked with everyone from Iggy Pop, to Brian Eno, to Cibo Matto, among many others. For years, he was the drummer in John Lurie's Lounge Lizards, and now plays in Doveman. Last night, Bowne brought his own "band" (more a loose group of musician friends) to Issue Project Room, playing a set of melodic free improv that lasted around an hour. It was all quiet and serene, with Bowne bouncing back and forth between the drums and guitar while harmonizing vocalise with the rest of the band. (The raven-haired girl to his left had a particularly pure and beautiful voice.) Not satisfied, Bowne played the last number again, encouraging everyone to join in the singing, which we did. If it wasn't the most technically perfect musical experience I've had, it was certainly one of the most heartwarming. (More pics below.)