Ahead of their new album Alpha Zulu, Phoenix stopped by the YouTube Theatre last Thursday night and put on a show for the SoCal crowd.
Phoenix has been pumping out records for over two decades, but it wasn’t until 2009’s massive Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that they blew up in the US. That record’s influence was felt on the setlist, which included a peppering of highlights from their entire career.
There’s a buoyance to Phoenix’s music that’s present in almost every song they’ve put out. Set opener “Lisztomania” is a perfect example. The exuberant keys that open, the verses consistently on an incline, the soaring chorus; it’s all there and their live mix does the track justice.
Later in the set, they dabbled into glistening hits from other albums like “Entertainment”, “J-Boy”, and “If I Ever Feel Better”. They also previewed some other terrific tracks from their new album. The visuals matched the decadent sounds: massive screens danced with diamonds, gorgeous buildings, and sprawling landscapes.
Near the end of the set, Phoenix began interpolating old tracks with new and English with French (their native language). It was a unique and captivating way to keep our energy going until set closer “1901”. You may have heard of that one. The lead single from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix has been a ubiquitous part of popular culture since its release over a decade ago. It’s been in Gossip Girl, Guitar Hero, NHL2K10, and it was even sampled on a Girl Talk track. Even with all this exposure, it still hasn’t gotten old. When that chorus hit, it was as if the audience was hearing it for the first time.
Phoenix finishes up their US tour in Austin, Texas on October 14th before heading over to Mexico and Europe this fall. For all things Phoenix, follow this link and for photos from the show, see below.
Photos + Review by Andrew Ameter | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!