Review: Phoenix

Photos by Todd Zimmer, friend of B2R

By the time I got to the RecordBar to see Phoenix, the line leading to the front door streched north and then east to the doors of the Westlake Hardware store. And the skies were a dark haze of purple. And the lightning show was fantastic.

It rained, then it rained hard. Then it turned into blowing rain. But fans stood in line until they were sure they couldn't get the wristband that would get them into what was a free, all-ages show, courtesy of MySpace.

he band Phoenix headlined. Phoenix is from Versailles (France, not Missouri) and it has a history with other well-known French music acts, like Air and Daft Punk. They are well-known, but not exactly famous over here. I asked a local promoter who was in the RecordBar on Wednesday where he'd have booked Phoenix and what he thinks the band would draw. He said: The Granada in Lawrence; about 600 people. That's a modest number for a band that gets lots of media attention; popularity these days is graded on a curve.

The 200-plus at this all-ages show -- most of them in the early 20s to early 30s -- gave the band the kind of response U2 gets in an arena. Or Bon Jovi.  They sang along all night, to songs off the brand-new "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,' like the explosive "1901," "Girlfriend" and "Lisztomania," the irresistable pop tune that opened the show; and to tracks off "United," now 9 years old, like "Funky Squaredance." Other highlights included songs off "It's Never Been Like That," like "Napoleon" ("... right hand in a trench coat!").

It's widely classified as a synth/dance-pop, but live, Phoenix's music is more substantial and elusive than that -- a mix and mashup of indie-rock and dance-pop with other accents, (like garge/blues and some funky-jazzy grooves) especially during the instrumentals. Lead singer Thomas Mars isn't the most commanding vocalist, but he's a charismatic frontman of a band that emanates cool without much pretentiousness.

 

The band was exceptionally tight and kinetic enthusiastic; and the sound in the RecordBar was remarkably clean. (I know it put the club in a tough spot, but the two-hour soundcheck must have been worth it.) The show hit its fever pitch at the end, during the 1-2-3 punch of "Too Young," "If I Ever Feel Better" and "1901." The room was shaking and people were singing and dancing -- the sounds and sights of success, no matter the size of the venue.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[mothman]

Pretty awesome...I'm pretty sure these guys played Saturday Night Live a few months ago.

[Ciara]

i checked pollstar a couple days ago and it said nothing about them coming to KC. where was this announced??

[The Big Lead]

When was this show scheduled???? No mention on this blog about the show until the review??? But please tell us more about Steve Winwood in OMAHA!!!!

[dude]

it was a myspace SECRET show.. everybody in town new about it by the night before when the word was officially allowed to be out

[The Big Lead]

That's what I get for cancelling my Myspace account 3 years ago! Apparently plenty people knew about it.

[mothman]

It was on the RB website, but not till (I think) day of show.

[JZ]

I discovered the show on Phoenix's myspace page Saturday night. It was also on the RB site Saturday. Even with the lack of public promotion, they had to turn some people away when they hit capacity.

Anyways, as Tim mentioned, it was a great show!

[The Big Lead]

I don't want to hear about it JZ, can we delete this post and pretend the concert never happened? Phoenix has been on repeat on my ipod for the past month.

[Jeff Brown]

So why can't we get someone to actually book Phoenix in the area? Seriously, the small to mid-sized acts skip us all too frequently. The I-80 Corridor / Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison to Minneapolis to Omaha/Lincoln to Denver route could detour south a bit more often than it does, so why doesn't it?

Can't this town support those kinds of shows? Sure, we get every classic rock retread the sheds can book, but what about the Phoenixes, and the like? I guess I'd just like to see more of that kind of show, instead of standing outside the Record Bar wishing I could have gotten there two hours earlier. It even sounded great in the parking lot by the way.

[Rick]

1901 on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7wy4bBJJtY

[Steve]

Unimpressed by 1901. But "adult alternative" has been the hot format as of late, and I like like my music a little harder.