C'est Magnifique.

Ratatat Worked The Bomb Factory Crowd With Its Ridiculously Impressive Light Show On Friday.

Before this summer's Magnifique, it had been five years since Ratatat had released a new album. Nevertheless, the rocktronica duo's fans remained supportive as ever during the long gap — and the ones that showed up for the group's set at the Bomb Factory on Friday night were in for a real treat.

Like the band's previous four albums, the latest LP is comprised of much of the same minimal beats, thumping bass lines and guitar melodies. Its live sets, however, aren't what one might expect from such a setup. Rather than just a couple of guys spending most of the show DJ-ing previously-recorded music to an almost negligible stage setup, the pair proved they had much more of a stage presence than expected. Guitarist Mike Stroud threw his head back and hoisted his ax like a long-haired god, nearly thrusting himself right off the stage in the process. His partner, Evan Mast, though less interactive with the crowd, was no less engaging while pounding his big glowing drums in front of an arena-scale light show.

Working in tandem with the music were the video projections and lasers, which truly made the show special. With no lyrics in its music, the projections really helped exemplify the imagery evoked by the band's dance tunes, this rounding out the experience.

For fans stuck standing in the back of such a large venue, it might have otherwise been hard to interact directly with the musicians on stage. But the lasers effectively worked to connect the audience. And, as the space grew more and more packed, the special effects really helped draw everyone close together and feel as if they were a part of the same experience.

That experience was comprised largely of new material, though the crowd's reaction to Classics cuts such as “Loud Pipes” and “Wildcat” further proved that this crowd wasn't exactly a bunch of Johnny Come Latelys. And while we're pretty sure this set of fans would have been stoked to see the band in any capacity after its recent drought, the way Ratatat made light and sound work so beautifully together at this show made for a truly distinct experience.