Tame Impala have turned New York’s newly reopened Cherry Lane Theatre into a psychedelic dreamscape. The Australian psych-rock visionaries premiered the first installment of A24’s new live video series, Sound Check at Cherry Lane Theatre — performing three songs from their just-released album Deadbeat, including the live debut of “My Old Ways.”
Directed by Sean Durkin (The Iron Claw, Martha Marcy May Marlene), the intimate concert captures frontman Kevin Parker and his band performing in a circle on the historic Greenwich Village stage — all shadows, vapor, and velvet sound. It’s a performance that strips away the festival grandeur and returns Tame Impala to something more elemental: the hypnotic pull of rhythm, space, and melody.
A24 and Cherry Lane: Where Film Meets Music
The Sound Check series is the latest creative venture from A24, the indie powerhouse that’s built a cult following as much for its music taste as its filmography. The concept: pairing iconic and emerging artists with cinematic direction inside the legendary Cherry Lane Theatre, New York’s oldest continuously running off-Broadway venue.
The series premiered with Tame Impala’s set, which features “My Old Ways,” “Loser,” and “Dracula” — all lifted from Deadbeat. The show was produced by A24 Music alongside the theatre itself, and airs exclusively on A24’s YouTube channel.
The theatre’s renovation has become part of the story, too. Purchased in 2023, the Cherry Lane underwent a multi-year transformation — keeping its iconic 166-seat intimacy while adding modern upgrades, a new bar-restaurant called Wild Cherry, and cutting-edge production gear.
As A24 expands further into live music, the venue feels like the perfect creative incubator — an intersection of stage, sound, and screen.
The Performance: Shadow, Light, and Psychedelia
Durkin’s direction gives the Tame Impala set a dreamlike texture — a “future primitive” vibe that mirrors Parker’s description of Deadbeat itself. The camera glides around the musicians as if orbiting a ritual; the lighting flickers between amber warmth and electric blue void.
Parker’s vocals hover like mist over the groove, his production instincts — part scientist, part sorcerer — translating seamlessly to the live setting. “My Old Ways” unfolds like a meditation on change and nostalgia, while “Dracula” and “Loser” expand Tame Impala’s universe into something more tactile and human.
It’s a rare moment of stillness from an artist whose music usually blooms across stadiums and festivals — a reminder of the raw intimacy behind the synths and studio wizardry.
Deadbeat: The “Future Primitive” Era
Released just last week, Deadbeat marks Tame Impala’s fifth studio album and the long-awaited follow-up to 2020’s The Slow Rush. Parker described it as “a future primitive rave act,” pulling from the wild energy of Western Australia’s bush doof culture — a DIY rave scene that shaped his early years.
In the Sound Check set, you can hear that duality: ancient rhythm meeting futuristic sheen. It’s both nostalgic and forward-looking, a sonic reflection of where Parker stands 15 years after Innerspeaker first warped our collective brains.
Earlier this month, Tame Impala also performed their first-ever acoustic set for NPR’s Tiny Desk, swapping synths for six guitars and reimagining fan favorites through organic textures. The juxtaposition — Tiny Desk’s daylight purity versus Sound Check’s moody haze — speaks to Parker’s range and refusal to stay still.
What’s Next: Tour, Film, and Evolution
Tame Impala’s Deadbeat U.S. tour kicks off October 27 with a four-night run at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, before heading west to Los Angeles’ Kia Forum in mid-November.
Meanwhile, the Sound Check at Cherry Lane Theatre series will continue to roll out new episodes in the coming weeks, including a performance by Mark William Lewis, the first artist signed to A24 Music.
If this first episode is any indication, Sound Check could become the most stylish fusion of cinema and live performance since MTV Unplugged — only this time, it’s built for YouTube and Gen Z.
FAQ
Q1: What songs did Tame Impala perform at Cherry Lane Theatre?
A: “My Old Ways,” “Dracula,” and “Loser,” all from their new album Deadbeat.
Q2: Who directed the performance?
A: Acclaimed filmmaker Sean Durkin, known for The Iron Claw and Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Q3: Where can I watch Sound Check at Cherry Lane Theatre?
A: The series streams exclusively on A24’s YouTube channel, with new episodes releasing throughout the fall.
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