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Phantogram – Il Motore – 12.10.10

December 12, 2010 in Show Reviews

Friday night in Montreal we had to brave the snow and the cold to get to Il Motore in time to see Phantogram who are always sure to put on a great show. After opening for a lot of big names such as The xx, Yeasayer and Zero 7 and gaining quite a reputation for putting on amazing live performances we couldn’t be more excited to see them live, yet again. Unfortunately we arrived just as opener Solar Year were finishing up their set but were happy to find out that up next was Toronto’s Bad Tits.

First up were Sebastien Grainger and Josh Reichmann, also known as Bad Tits. They started quickly, immersing us instantly in a sea of noises and beats. While I wouldn’t go as far as saying it was a bad, it wasn’t really good either. With their music being mostly repetitive, it had to get boring at some point. Fortunately, they had great melodies and when they were actually singing, everything seemed to get a lot better. Overall, they were good performers and Reichmann’s intense stare was dazzling but they could limit the repetitiveness of their music so as to not loose the audience’s interest.

Phantogram was up next and anticipation was starting to build up around the room. Singer Sarah Barthel started slowly, layering her voice for a couple of seconds. After a quick glance thrown at guitarist John Carter, she continued with an explosion of beats taking everyone by surprise. At the same time, strobe lights flashed vibrantly along with the music. The energy was already through the roof and Barthel was extremely mesmerizing to watch. She moved with the music while delivering an amazing vocal performance. They continued with “Let Me Go” from their debut release, Eyelid Movie and the haunting melody enveloped the entire venue. It was hard to believe that they could keep so much intensity going throughout the entire performance but Barthel and Carter looked ready for it. Carter’s voice was a bit less fierce then Barthel’s but the contrast between the two tones was quite pleasing to the ears. As they played the first few notes of their ever popular single “Mouthful of Diamonds” the crowd went nuts and began to dance even harder. When Carter announced they were going to play “10000 Claps”, the energy in the room went down a notch. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing but people in the audience seemed to loose focus for a moment, speaking loudly and being a bit obnoxious. Fortunately, they continued with the upbeat “Turn It Off” which got everyone back on their feet. It was nice to here the band play a new song, which showed a lot of potential for their future. After Phantogram’s short yet intense set, it was hard to leave the venue for the intense cold and snow outdoors, but so is life in Montreal in December. – Camille Gervais