Hey devoted followers and fair weathered readers, you may have noticed I’m taking a slight break from my normal column to delve into the wide world of concert reviews. I’d heard mixed reviews of seeing Passion Pit live but they left no doubts that they can put on one hell of a show.
I’d like to digress for just a little, though, to give a shout out to the opening band, We Barbarians. The opener for the last show in the same venue, whose name I won’t speak, left a lot to be desired, mostly an hour of my life that I could never get back so I was slightly biased. The Barbarians, however, forced me to reconsider what I had previously learned and I think you should check them out above this. Take a look at this link for some pictures of the venue (Cornell University) and the show itself (Barton Hall).
Now, on to the main attraction. Let me set the stage for you. We Barbarians finishes playing at 9 and it’s 9:30. In a space meant for 1,000, you’re surrounded by 4,999 people who want nothing more than to get closer to you than your girlfriend. You’re sweating from places you didn’t know you could sweat from and smoke hangs in the air from both the smoke machines and the kids smoking weed in a 360 degree radius surrounding you. Needless to say, you’re quite hot and bothered. And then the music starts and, if only for an hour, you and the crowd are no longer at odds with each other but become one in the same pursuit.
For one thing, I was really surprised with lead singer’s Michael Angelakos’ stage presence and stage act. From the first song he was interacting with the crowd, having us sing along, a trend which he continued for the entire evening. Also, despite not playing an instrument for most of the show, he did include theatrics in his stage act, such as twirling, throwing and catching his microphone, reminiscent of Roger Daltrey of the Who.
Also, I was really impressed with the band’s ability to recreate their very electronic sound on stage. The band did a really good job of switching instruments to replicate multiple parts and Angelakos’ high pitched, falsetto vocals sound the exact same as they do on record. You could tell the band was having fun on stage and that energy kept the crowd jumping, dancing and just grooving to the music. Go see them, it’s worth it.
The Music Court 
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