By J.R. Taylor

Hard to believe that Lou Reed used to worry about playing museums. These days Evan Mast—the synth player for Ratatat—is pretty thrilled about his band’s upcoming show at the Guggenheim. They’re billed, along with Pink Skull, as the first live acts to play the joint’s First Friday series.

Mast, however, isn’t completely confident about the show. “It’s a big honor,” he says, “but I’m kind of neurotic. I had a dream about it last night, where we got there and they said we couldn’t play a normal set. They told Mike to go home. They made me play guitar, and I was, like, ‘No, Mike is a much better guitar player.’”

There’s a reason that dreams might be on Mast’s mind. It sounds like he’s just waking up when he takes an afternoon phone call. That’s to be expected from a band with a fashionable nightlife following. Ratatat didn’t start out deserving any better. The 2004 debut sounded exactly like the part-time electronica of a graphic designer and a studio guitarist. (That was, respectively, Mast and guitarist Mike Stroud.) 

This year’s Classics is a marked improvement. There’s plenty of personality that transcends post-rawk goofiness. Ratatat seem to be taking things pretty seriously, as mopey instrumentation enhances the smooth beats and uptight guitar.

Mast has abruptly gone from being an artist to being a hipster musician playing a museum. He’s adjusting. “Mostly, I just do visual things for my shows and album art and stuff,” says Mast. “Its kind of like it’s changed from when I was in school, studying art and getting all excited, and I couldn’t find time to do much with music. It takes too much for me to do both at once.”

And that’s OK, since Classics is making Ratatat even more of a serious endeavor. “I’ve been amazed on this tour. Every show has been sold out. That’s shocking in some ways. I feel like the music is interesting enough, but I’m happy so many people have been getting into us. It’s tough to get instrumental music out there.”

And that’s something we haven’t mentioned: Ratatat is an instrumental band. That alone practically makes them art-rockers, or at the very least, inherently uncommercial—as Mast is reminded every day. 

“A lot of people need a frontman,” he explains. “The state of the industry makes it difficult. I think Mike is sort of a frontman for our shows. He goes over the top. Hopefully, he’s pretty entertaining. I think he’s funny.”

Oct. 6. The Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Ave. (at 89th St,), 212-423–3500; 9 p.m.–1 a.m., free for members, $20.