Passion Pit – Corner Hotel
By Luke McKenna • Jan 29th, 2010 • Section: Music, Reviews
Passion Pit
Corner Hotel
January 25
It’s not often in adult life that you get to let loose completely; I’m talking hands-in-the-air, euphoric-grin-plastered-on, screaming-wildly, hope-a-workmate-isn’t-watching, loose. But that’s exactly the response sugar-popsters Passion Pit won from an elated Corner Hotel crowd this Aus day eve.
It was a short but fairy-floss sweet performance by the super-hyped US quintet, which still seemed to be coming to terms with worldwide stardom. The group appeared genuinely surprised that a capacity crowd had forked out $70 each to see the show, and that the audience knew all the words to songs written not so long ago on the other side of the world. After all – global buzz aside – two years in, this is a band in its infancy.
This showed a little onstage, where Passion Pit was still finding its live feet. The band stuck closely to a pre-planned, 70-odd minute set and there was minimum chatter between songs. But this didn’t dull the feel-good power of an album and EP’s worth of lovie tunes – and yes, front-man Michael Angelakos’s voice really is that good live.
From the moment the curtain was raised to the opening electro-bops of ‘I’ve Got Your Number’, the Corner Hotel was theirs. Tempo wise, it was a relatively subdued start, but the band picked up the pace with ‘Better Things’, from the Chunk of Change EP, then falsettoed through most of the Manners album, including ‘The Reeling’ and the unbelievably well-received ‘Moth’s Wings’ and ‘Let Your Love Grow Tall’. The crowd danced harder and harder as the show went on.
And so by the time ‘Little Secrets’ dropped punters were wild with excitement – but happily wild, with jumping and singing and clapping and giant smiles. The audience managed to drown out the PA with its rowdy chorus sing-along, “higher and higher and higher and higher!”
So much fun.
With that, the band left stage, conveniently denying the Corner a couple of crowd faves. Cue encore.
Passion Pit was welcomed back with just as much affection as the band burst into ‘Eyes as Candles’ – “nah nah nah nah nah nah!” – before a curveball cover of the Canberries’ ‘Dreams’ – the most delicious Passion and Cranberry cocktail you’re ever likely to taste. But it was ‘Sleepyhead’ everyone was waiting for, and when it finally came the audience erupted. Again. And somehow even harder. Not a single foot remained on the ground longer than a second at a time. To be honest, I can’t really remember how the song sounded live – that moment was all about the blissfully happy, energetic, adoring response en masse. The perfect end to a very fun show.
Wow.
And if you missed out this time, don’t despair – Angelakos said he hopes to back in a couple of months. More love will await, I’m sure.
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