Let’s just skip past the just-before-Christmas timing for a concert in a venue perfectly sized and with optimal stage lighting (and technician talent) for Atlanta’s “rising stars,” Improvement Movement. You knew it was going to be a good night from the first announcement.
The lighting dims and the hubbub follows. Enter Ravel’s “Boléro,” its percussive snares building, coiling the energy tighter and tighter… and then oversized heads rise from the stage. What? Yes, giant paper mache heads of the band’s front-line musicians. It’s clear the band has been waiting for this night just as much.
And maybe to make a statement. “Eclectic folk pop” or “psychedelic folk” labels try to capture stylistic space that isn’t new, but capture a vibe – melodically generous, studio-curious and harmonically tight without tipping into prog rock theatrics. If that sounds interesting, give their latest, Slump, a listen. There have been ample bands passing through Terminal West that have some of these traits, but they often lean heavily to jam band indulgences. From the opening presentation, this show says, “We’re not up and coming. We belong on this, and bigger, stages.”
And they do. It’s always interesting when bands select just a handful of new songs from their latest release. What, you already know the others don’t measure up? Improvement Movement played all nine songs from Slump and another five songs that haven’t been formally released, plus plenty of others. That takes confidence, even for a hometown crowd.
In addition to the strong musicianship, the band also feels completely comfortable on the stage, more so than their September performance at Shaky Knees, even, with each other and with engaging the audience. All humor aside from their opening theatrics, it’s clear that this is a band that takes itself seriously, and “rising” means catching live audiences as often as they can. To that end, they just completed a tour supporting Unknown Mortal Orchestra and have their own shows lining up in 2026.
To this reviewer’s satisfaction, the concert year couldn’t have ended on a higher note.
Setlist:
Encore:
