photos by Dakota Fine
words by Sepie Moinipanah
...
Passion Pit headlined, with Tokyo Police Club as openers, at the 930 Club this past Thursday. We were lucky enough to catch them in action. -DF
Being a big fan of both Passion Pit and Tokyo Police Club, I knew that a good time was in store. Arriving earlier than most, I grabbed a drink at the bar and camped out on the front-line positioning myself to the right of the stage, directly in front of the barricade.
Tokyo Police Club pulled out all the stops with their set. Featuring songs off their forthcoming album <<em>hamp, as well as older classics from Elephant Shell and A Lesson in Crime, the Canadian quartet showcased high-level energy and bass-heavy ballads with a "Nature of the Experiment" and a "Your English is Good"/"Be Good" combination. TPC will make another DC appearance next month, headlining at the Black Cat.
Passion Pit took the stage giving props to openers before quickly tearing into their synth-pop beats. Previously aware of Michael Angelakos' highly scrutinized track record as a vocalist, I walked through the doors of 9:30 with this in mind and adjusted my expectations accordingly. The band quickly worked the crowd as audience members displayed their dance floor and falsetto colors. This demonstration of smooth sound that Angelakos and company offered fueled pure party antics for those in attendance.
The synthesizers and drums seemed a bit overpowering throughout the set, making it difficult to hear Angelakos' vocals. Opening with "Cuddle Fuddle", a personal favorite, the band did not seem to find their groove until several songs later with "The Reeling". Once Passion Pit began to gel, the performance took flight. The aforementioned issues upfront on the mic seemed to have dissipated and the band won me over with their live rendition of "Folds In Your Hands" which was accompanied with an extended synth-driven solo that triggered a killer on-stage Passion Pit freak-out. Despite some inconsistencies during the first half of their set, the band successfully achieved their groove and put forth a memorable performance.
Previously in Live DC:
- 5/22: LiveDC: Spirit Animal @ Red Palace
- 5/22: LiveDC: Astra Via @ Black Cat
- 5/22: LiveDC: Father John Misty @ Rock & Roll Hotel
- 5/22: LiveDC: Drive-By Truckers and Lucinda Williams @ Merriweather
- 5/22: Photos: Summer Camp takes the "Ladies of Town" Drag Show
- 5/22: LiveDC: Penguin Prison & Class Actress @ RNR Hotel
- 5/21: LiveDC: James Morrison @ 930 Club
- 5/21: Photos: Que Sera L'Anniversaire @ Napoleon
- 5/21: LiveDC: La Sera/ Beach Week @ Red Palace
- 5/21: LiveDC: The Black Keys & Arctic Monkeys @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
God loves a cheerful giver.
wrong. they opened with I've Got Your Number
bfd
Did that play those songs where they sound like chipmunks?
No mention of the KICK ASS cranberries Dream cover?
Such a pleasant surprise- PP rocked it at 930, so glad that the redeemed themselves after a weak outdoor performance at coachella (and at earth day, so i heard)
AANNNND the DJ set at Velvet lounge was rediculous
loved passion pit...the crowd was stupid.
awesome pics and writeup... but, Rule #1 at the 9:30 club: ALWAYS stay for the encore. Passion Pit ending with the Cranberries "Dreams" cover was def the show's highlight.. Hope BYT stayed for last night's Kings of Convenience encore and after-party. kinda the shit.
I've never quite gotten into either of these bands but I was seriously bummed when I found out DOM was opening and I couldn't make it. Anyone catch them?
I did. They weren't bad but nothing really great to speak of. Then again, they had a short set and the crowd was stills settling in.
DOM was awesome, amazing how good and tight they sounded live for being such a new band....definitely deserved to be mentioned here...hope they come back soon
Great show. Obnoxious fans (ground floor).
Agreed with everyone talking about the ground floor fans - showed up early to catch DOM and grab a good spot somewhere near the front, ended up getting knocked into by underage fratdouche types, then when moving slightly out of their way, ended up getting grinded against by underage "grind and hump to Passion Pit" girls. Not pleasant on either front. Ended up pushing my way to the back to watch in comfort without having an elbow in my face or an illegal ass against my groin.