Phantogram brought their brand of electro-pop rock to a nearly sold out Saturday evening crowd at the House of Blues and totally destroyed an hour and fifteen minute set. Their brand, which is so commonly used to describe many bands out right now, doesn’t justify what they do live at all. First and foremost, this is a now a headlining electro-rock band whether you like it or not. What may have started out as a duo, is now a four piece equipped with drums, bass, mixers, synthesizers and a plethora of other gear that proved Phantogram is ready for big stages and no longer needs to be anyone’s opening act.
With that being said the opening DJ set by Providence RI’s The Range totally blew me away as well. Even for non-DJ or electronic fans one cannot deny this man’s soul, energy, and work ethic. I had a hard time finding a track to get introduced to him with before the show (Kanye recently introduced him to the hip hop world and features his beats and production on Yeezus). Regardless, he’s doing a lot up there and it made me realize that yes, DJ’s can have soul, but it did seem like it’s more of a live and right-setting act. Either way this man’s talent was undeniable.
After his 45 minute set the room was at near capacity and it became evident why Phantogram has risen up from small clubs, and as opening acts to filling up theatres and big festival fields literally around the world. They appeal to a wider audience than most people realize. There were rock fans, hip-hop fans, neon bros, altbros, and a few basics ready for a night out, and Phantogram’s production alone let us know they were ready to deliver.
Amid a backdrop of strobes, swiveling LED lights and reflective mirrors Phantogram plowed through a 13 in your face song set that defined what it means to put on a modern day electro-rock show. The set was mostly comprised of their newer material off of “Voices” but also favorites from their earlier releases like “Don’t move, Running from the Cops, When I’m small.” The production of the show matched the big but raw and sexy production of “Voices” with a light show that helped transform the audience into an “elbows in” dance club frenzy that made you feel like you were in their “Black Out Days” video . I couldn’t help but think of Phantogram has an updated version of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s but with a little bit more Chemical Bros or LCD mixed in. But don’t get me wrong Phantogram is all their own thing. Sarah Barthel’s voice isn’t anything you’ll rave on about but her energy and the way she moves and makes this band unique is. When you listen to the records its hard to tell what is sampled from what is instrumentation, but live, Josh Carters guitar chops were clear, distinct, and heavy. The set was so good it flew by and it was easy to lose yourself in the infectious drum and bass beats, some which seem to beg for an MC. This along with the lack of any sort of traditional song structure, did make the breaks between songs abrupt and snap you back to reality which almost made me wish they segued some of them together. The band seems talented enough to do so if they wanted to but its probably just not their thing.
Upon their quick return to the stage for the encore Barthel’s expressed her gratitude for Boston paying homage to their first gig in the city at Great Scott, (which actually wasn’t that long ago). Closing the show with introspective Mouthful of Diamonds and Celebrating Nothing, it was clear to see this band is destined for mainstream success, not only for their raw, in your face, wide genre appeal but for their overall like-ability. One thing is for certain Phantogram was badass and they are probably going to continue to be bad ass for quite some time.
