Tour Dates
06/06/09 Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, GA
06/08/09 National Richmond, VA 06/09/09 Black Cat Washington DC 06/11/09 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN 06/13/09 Mad Hatter Covington, KY 06/14/09 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL 06/16/09 Lee’s Palace Toronto, ON 06/17/09 Mohawk Place Buffalo, NY 06/18/09 Paradise Rock Boston,MA 06/19/09 Bowery Ballroom NY 06/20/09 Bowery Ballroom NY 06/26/09 The Cooler Bristol, London 06/27/09 Glastonbury Pilton 07/01/09 Heaven (sold out) London 07/03/09 Southampton Orange Rooms 07/04/09 Eurockeennes Malsaucy 07/05/09 Montreux Jazz Festival 07/10/09 Oxegen Fest Punchestown 07/11/09 T in the Park Scotland 07/13/09 Paradiso Amsterdam 07/18/09 Latitude Festival Southwold 07/19/09 Melt Festival Ferropolis 08/09/09 Lollapalooza Chicago, IL 08/20/09 Pukkelpop Fest Hasselt 08/21/09 Lowlands Fest Holland 08/28/09 Rock en Seine Paris 08/29/09 Leeds Festival 08/30/09 Reading Festival Reading 09/05/09 Jersey Live Festival Jersey 09/11/09 Bestival Isle of Wight 09/13/09 Monolith Festival Morrison, CO 10/04/09 Austin City Limits Austin 10/21/09 Leadmill Sheffield 10/22/09 NorthumbriaUni Stage 2 10/23/09 Garage Glasgow, Scotland 10/24/09 Club Academy Manchester 10/26/09 Academy Oxford 10/27/09 Koko London, UK 10/30/09 Anson Rooms Bristol 10/31/09 Uni Southampton 11/01/09 Academy 2 Birmingham 11/03/09 Dublin Academy Dublin |
The Harlem Shakes provided just the right amount of pep to wake up the somewhat restless crowd. Starting with the gradual building “TFO,” they soon moved on to fan favorites like “Nothing But Change Pt. II” and “Sunlight.” Lead singer, Lexy Benaim, occasionally offered sleepy commentary between songs, but for the most part, stuck strictly to singing. The audience caught on quickly to all the “oohs” and “ahs” in their songs and a haphazard sing-a-long could be deciphered every once in a while. As a self-proclaimed cynic when it comes to opening bands (I’ve suffered through way too many My Bloody Valentine disciples), I was impressed.
Passion Pit took the stage to much acclaim and the occasional fangirl squeal (mostly directed to oh-so-dreamy keyboardist, Ian Hultquist). The first song, “Make Light,” reduced the audience to a sweaty mass of frenzied dancing. Aside from their debut album, Manners, the band played a few songs from their fan-favorite Chunk of Change EP, such as “Better Things” and “I’ve Got Your Number.”
I’ve heard a few people criticize lead singer Michael Angelakos’ voice, (Pitchfork lovingly called it “half-eunuch/half-Jeremy Enigk”), but there were no complaints that night, as the arsenal of synthesizers and keyboards seemed to balance everything out. Highlights of the night included “Little Secrets” and “Moth Wings,” as their infectious hooks allowed for plenty of audience participation. Requests for their runaway hit, “Sleepyhead” were heard throughout the night, and when the band finally acquiesced, the audience went –for lack of a better word—apeshit.
For the encore, the band returned with their single, “The Reeling,” another song featuring a catchy chorus sung by a children’s choir, much to the crowd’s delight. By the end of the night, the band seemed genuinely surprised by the Houston audience’s uninhibited gusto. I suppose they weren’t expecting much from a venue situated between a Chinese restaurant and an empty lot.
06/05/2009 21:32:50 ♥ kateg () ♥ passionpitmusic.com/myspace ♥ harlemshakes.com/myspace
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