Maybe it was due to an ale or two, but this show’s atmosphere was surreal, unlike any other.
I’d been to my fair share of shows at Marquee Theater in Tempe — from indie and reggae to dubstep and ADHD-approved, mainstream mash-ups — but there was something about Passion Pit’s set, and the eclectic crowd, that made this particular show unforgettable.
Although their newest album “Gossamer” was released just a little more than a month ago (in July), it seemed as though the fans had been listening to it for years. Never a dull moment, never a fumble of words (maybe on my end a time or two) — these were more than fans; these were devote followers, fanatics of the Cambridge-hailed, electropop five-some.
And as expected, when “Sleepyhead” hit, the crowd went nuts, elated — hands flailing in the air, bodies moving (thinking back, they never really stopped), lips perfectly in sync with front-man Michael Angelakos. As for me, let this be our little secret: Although I did become obsessed with “Gossamer,” listening to it on repeat in my car for about three weeks straight, I purchased the ticket to see this long-awaited show for two reasons — “Sleepyhead” and “Little Secrets”. Let’s just say ending their set with the latter completely made my night.
However, what’s a show without a slow jam? There always seems to be one that impedes reaching the climax of the set, decelerating from an auditory high. But “Constant Conversations” — a sensual, delicately smooth tune — felt strategically placed, inducing a bit of bumping and grinding, with a bit of harmonizing weaved in here and there. Not to mention Angelakos’ unique falsetto, reaching octaves I never thought could make a man appear even the slightest bit sexy, was likely seducing every girl in the room.
Attending a Passion Pit show was long-overdue. This band and their pop-infused tracks will always recall the days speed walking to class from one end of campus to the other, for a class that was due to begin in just a few minutes; I’ll always remember the drives back and forth from Flagstaff and Phoenix, setting “Cuddle Fuddle”, and eventually the entire “Chunk of Change” album on repeat.
You didn’t let me, and the hundred others, down, Passion Pit. Now this nine-to-five old lady doesn’t regret staying out late on a work night.
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