Concert review: Stereolab at The Orange Peel

Wrapping up its latest North American tour with a stop in Asheville, avant-pop legends Stereolab performed for a sold-out crowd at The Orange Peel on Oct. 15.

Formed in the early ’90s around the core duo of English guitarist Tim Gane and French vocalist and keyboard player Lætitia Sadier, Stereolab is generally regarded as one of the most innovative bands of its generation. After perfecting a unique concoction of drone, bossa nova, krautrock, exotica, electronic pop, and more over the course of 10 albums, a handful of EPs, and a bunch of compilations, the bandmates went their separate ways in 2009. But in the years that followed, the ensemble’s legacy grew among the most feverish of music aficionados. 

After a decade-long hiatus, during which Sadier and Gane focused on other musical projects, Stereolab reformed in 2019. In support of remastered reissues of the group’s most essential albums, extensive tours of both Europe and North America followed. 

Having not been able to catch this group on its initial reunion tour, I was thrilled to see an Asheville stop listed as part of the band’s 2022 tour itinerary. For years, I had just assumed that Stereolab was one of those bands that I’d never see live — and, judging by the densely packed crowd, I was not alone in that sentiment.

Unlike the average reunited band from that era, Stereolab refrained from playing the obvious hits. For better or worse, it was a set catering more directly to the superfans who’ve explored the group’s extensive discography than the casual fan who’s only heard the most popular songs. Falling somewhere in the middle, I was only really familiar with half of the tunes played. 

Regardless of my prior connection to the material, the quintet was tight. Setting a relaxed mood early on, Stereolab fully let loose their more noisy, experimental side on late-in-the-set highlights “Pack Yr Romantic Mind” and “Super-Electric.” Although it wasn’t my dream set, getting to actually see this group perform an electrifying rendition of “French Disko” during the encore was all I could have possibly needed to return home satisfied. 

Setlist

Neon Beanbag
Low Fi
Eye of the Volcano
Refractions in the Plastic Pulse
U.H.F. - MFP
Miss Modular
Mountain
Delugeoisie
Harmonium
I Feel the Air (of Another Planet)
Pack Yr Romantic Mind
Super-Electric

Encore
Supah Jaianto
French Disko
Simple Headphone Mind / Excursions Into “Oh, A-Oh”

(Photos by Jonny Leather)