Rather than simply providing an aurally impressive set for audience members, The Octopus Project does their fans one better by working to create a unique experience for onlookers. Blindfold on: Their music, full of ingenuity and originality, creates walls of sound that entrance and entertain. Blindfold off: Their sets, suits, characters, instrumentation and visual projections all add to an all-too-happy, surreal moment to be remembered.
Just this past March, the Austin-based quartet outdid themselves with a special series of shows, dubbed "Hexadecagon," in conjunction with South by Southwest. The shows consisted of a giant circle with the band in the center, audience members surrounding them in 360 degrees, and eight speakers outlining the crowd. Then, above them all, an eight-channel video system projected visuals for the duration of the show. Why "Hexadecagon?" The eight channels of sound combined with the eight channels of video made for 16 sides of sensory overload.
Needless to say, The Octopus Project is one of those bands that should be seen live. And, with Denton's Florene and Fur on the bill, and the relative intimacy of the Granada bringing audiences that much closer to their distinct world, The Octopus Project's performance on Friday has all the components of a memorable evening.