PHOENIX CAPTIVATES DIE-HARD FANATICS AT THE YOUTUBE THEATER IN LA
Fresh from Versailles, France, the foursome known as Phoenix, has returned to American soil. In a world plagued with issues, having one of the largest indie-electro bands coat a sonically superb numbing agent over our lives was welcomed with open ears.
Holding court in the 6,000-capacity YouTube Theatre is no small feat. Since its opening in August 2021, the venue has welcomed such acts as Jack White, Demi Lovato, and the Doobie Brothers. Unfortunately, its grand size and bland abience provided minimal amounts for the audience to gaze at. Thankfully, around 8:35 PM, the first act of the night took the stage. Porches, a project from the mind of Aaron Maine, quickly captured the audience's attention. Performing an array of tracks spanning five studio albums and four EPs, Maine and his gang of traveling musicians performed “Lately” and “Headsgiving” to a warm reception, amongst a myriad of other tacks. Porches closed their set with the hit “Mood”, which has over 8 million plays on Spotify.
The house lights went down for the final time at 9:45 PM, which caused a massive uproar from the crowd. Slowly, the curtain rose and exposed several silhouetted figures against one giant LED backdrop showcasing ancient Greece - massive pillars and all. As the LED grew brighter and brighter, Phoenix fans grew louder and louder. With the strum of a guitar riff, the crowd went ape-sh*t and the opening song “Lithuania” was underway.
Thomas Mars, the frontman of the group, started upstage and eventually moved his way to his downstage position. Quickly after his arrival on his downstage mark, the curtain dropped behind him as he continued singing his resplendent lyrics. A few moments later and right as the final chorus came in, the curtain rose yet again and caused complete mayhem, on and off the stage - lights from all angles blasting, fans screaming with their hands waving in the air. It was at this moment that confirmation was received: it was going to be a glorious show.
Shortly after a quick breather, the band went into their second song of the evening “Entertainment.” The track is off the band’s fifth album ‘Bankrupt!”, which caused yet again a monstrous amount of energy from the crowd to spill over. Before the third song came around, frontman Thomas Mars greeted the audience with thunderous applause of his own. He thanked and welcomed fans, telling everyone that they would be in store for quite a show. Moments later a grand ballyhoo commenced and the band’s fourth song, “Too Young/Girlfriend” came rushing through the speakers.
Being a band for over two decades is no small feat. Sounding the same as you did when you first launched is nearly impossible… yet Phoenix has defied the odds. With an ever-evolving sound, Phoenix is still able to create its trademark indie electro ballads with ease. Mars’ velvety smooth yet youthful voice attaches to his bandmates’ instrumentation so well that it seems as if the music is being played via a record player. Every note is accounted for. Every harmony is right on time. During the track “Armistice”, the band’s musicality really shines with every member showcasing their respective instruments in the spotlight.
The evening closed with “If I Ever Feel Better” followed by a clamor from the crowd shouting, “Encore! Encore!" or in French, “Une Autre!” which translates to “another one”. Needless to say, the band expeditiously returned to the stage for a few more killer songs including their famed track “1901”, which had everyone in the crowd smiling from ear to ear.
