Tame Impala Concert Reivew

Why yes! Knowledge is absolutely power! But “The Less I Know the Better” will always hit! 

Going to a Tame Impala concert feels exactly like one of his songs. Colorful, groovy, slightly chaotic, and just disorienting enough that you’re like, “Wait…where am I?” Giving you that instant floating feeling or feeling like you’re going to be just fine.  

Back in November, my family and I somehow managed to secure tickets to see Tame Impala live at the Oakland Arena for his newest album, Deadbeat. And yes, I’m still thinking about it months later. Which is why I’mwriting this now. That, and the fact that the sun is finally coming out again, summer break energy is in the air, and suddenly all I want to listen to is music that makes me feel like I’m in a coming-of-age movie montage. 

Also, this album? It aged very well. Grammy-winning well, actually. Kevin Parker took home Best Dance/Electronic Recording for “End of Summer,” which honestly makes sense because that song alone feels like the emotional climax of a night you don’t fully remember but somehow changed your life. 

Anyway, I’ve been waiting to see Tame Impala live since I was in middle school. And like many people my age, my introduction to him was not cool or underground, it was through edits.  Specifically, Stranger Things and IT edits on Instagram. Pre-TikTok era. A simpler time. Oh, how I wish I could go back! The first song I heard was “The Less I Know the Better,” and I didn’t even stand a chance. That bassline grabbed me immediately and has not let go since. Once again making me feel like I am floating - that everything is unreal.  

But edits only got me in the door. What kept me there was the sound. I’ve always loved psychedelic music, like, I grew up on The Doors, Empire of the Sun (concert review too!) and MGMT so this was kind of inevitable. But Tame Impala adds this whole other layer with electronic and dance elements that just makes you feel good. Like chemically good. Like your brain is just producing serotonin on command. In which I wholeheartedly believe it does whenever I listen to his music.  

And lucky for me, my family gets it. So this turned into a full group outing; parents, siblings, significant others. A wholesome little concert field trip. Financially, it was also kind of a win. I only had to pay for my ticket and merch, which in today’s world feels like getting away with something. 

Now, let’s talk about Oakland Arena. 

First of all, it’s huge. Like, why is the parking lot its own zip code huge. I’m a Northern California native, so the fact that this was my first time there is honestly a little embarrassing – but I’m a Warriors fan first, so I’vebeen busy.  

The only downside? The weather. 

It was pouring. Not cute, light drizzle but actual, dramatic movie rain. The kind where you question all your life choices while walking from the car to the venue. And then again when you leave. But honestly, it kind of added to the experience. Like, if you’re about to enter a psychedelic concert, you might as well go through a dramatic, rain-soaked transition first. 

Once we got inside, my parents immediately went into survival mode. Find seats, find snacks, get comfortable. Meanwhile, the rest of us had our priorities straight: merch. 

Now listen. 

I love Tame Impala. I really do. 

But those merch prices? INSANE. 

$65 for a T-shirt. Twenty. Dollars. For a poster. 

At that point, I wasn’t shopping, I was negotiating with myself. Like, “Do I need this? No. Am I going to buy it anyway? Also no… but actually yes.” 

And of course, I did. 

Because here’s the thing, concert merch is emotional. You’re not just buying a shirt. You’re buying a memory. A feeling. A slightly overpriced cotton representation of your personality. Plus, proof that you were breathing the same air as Kevin Parker. For anyone that grew up watching Lindsey Lohan’s “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” you know why the merch and proof of concert was so important.  

So yes, I bought the shirt. No regrets. Financial consequences are a future problem. 

Every time I go to a concert, I get this overwhelming feeling right before it starts. It’s like excitement mixed with disbelief, mixed with “wow, I really made it here.” Or “wow, I hope my phone does not run out of storage now.” And the second the lights went down, that feeling just completely took over. 

The crowd was mixed. Notably young, but also had some older audience members. But age doesn’t mean anything here, but the ecstatic, chill, and dance energy was everywhere. Which made sense—the newer music definitely leans more into that ravey, house-inspired vibe that Gen Z and millennials live for. But it also wasn’t just one type of fan. There were longtime listeners, casual fans, people who clearly came for the vibes. It was a mix, and it worked. 

And then the show started. 

And I genuinely don’t know how to explain it without sounding dramatic, but I’m going to try anyway: 

It did not feel real. 

Tame Impala doesn’t just perform songs, he builds an entire atmosphere. The visuals alone were insane. Lights, lasers, colors shifting and moving in perfect sync with the music—it felt like being inside a living, breathing music video. And looked even better from the nosebleeds. For once I feel bad for the people in the GA or pit, for they couldn’t see the beautiful laser light show.  

At some points, I literally forgot I was in an arena. Like, physically forgot. That’s how immersive it was. 

The setlist was everything I could’ve wanted. Older songs like “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” had the entire crowd singing like it was a group therapy session, while the newer tracks brought this heavier, danceable energy that had people moving nonstop. 

Another cool thing to mention is that I went to night two of Tame Impala at Oakland. And will gladly say that he loved our energy more than night one. Sorry not sorry, I need to brag about that.  

Plus there was a really cool moment when a young fan got the chance to come up on stage and play the drums. And this young fan killed it and even surprised the band! 

Hearing those songs in that environment made everything click. The production, the energy, the crowd – it all came together in a way that made the new music feel just as impactful as the older stuff. 

At one point, I looked around and just took it all in. Thousands of people, all completely locked into the same moment. Singing, dancing, just existing in it together. 

And Kevin Parker himself? Exactly what you’d expect - in the best way. Chill, a little awkward, funny without trying too hard. Nothing about him felt forced. It made the whole massive production feel weirdly personal. 

Like yeah, there are lasers flying everywhere and visuals that look like they were designed by aliens, but also, he’s just a guy up there vibing with his music on multiple stages. 

By the time the show started wrapping up, I genuinely wasn’t ready for it to end. And I don’t think anyone else was either. It felt like a club up there with the nonstop dance music, lasers. I thought we could go for all night! 

There’s always that moment at the end of a concert where reality starts creeping back in. The lights come up a little, people start checking their phones again, and you’re like, “Oh right. The world exists.” 

Walking out into the rain (still raining, by the way), holding my overpriced merch, ears ringing, I had one very clear thought: 

I need to experience that again. 

Because that’s the thing about a Tame Impala concert, it’s not just something you watch. It’s something you feel. And once you’ve felt it, you kind of want to chase that feeling again. 

So yeah, maybe I’m writing this months later. 

But honestly? It still feels fresh.  

Because some concerts are just concerts. 

And then some completely rewire your brain chemistry a little bit. 

This was definitely the second one.