Phantogram w/ Lia Ices at Myth – Maplewood, MN (1 Oct 2014)

It’s kind of like watching your kids grow up…



The first and only previous time I’d seen Phantogram live, was on their debut national tour in early 2010, playing a cramped 7^th Street Entry with just core members Josh Carter (vocals, guitars) and Sarah Barthel (vocals, keyboards), who had hastily hung a white bedsheet along the back of the stage, to use to project accompanying visuals on.



Just four years later, the band has truly evolved –doubling in size for their touring version, further refining and polishing their already sleek and cool blend of electronica, and coming to town with one of the more impressive light rigs we’ve seen in a while. Phantogram has grown up.

Lia Ices

The evening began nicely with an opening set from Lia Ices, a Connecticut singer-songwriter based in Northern California, promoting her third and latest, Ices (on Jagjaguwar), which just came out last month.  Ices began her career in 2008 as more of a solo based piano artist, but like Phantogram, has evolved as well, leading an accompanying guitarist and drummer onstage, which brought a welcomed fuller sound to her heartfelt songs.



Donned in a sports jersey bearing her own name, Ices’ songs, (6 of the 9 were from the new record) were warmly received and an ideal musical fit to play with headliner Phantogram.



She reached back to previous album, Grown Unknown, for opening song, ‘Love is Won’ then moved onward to mostly newer songs with a musical style that would fit nicely on the shelf alongside Feist, Tori Amos, and Fiona Apple.



‘Thousand Eyes’ got a little psychedelic, catchy lead single, ‘Higher’ was done mid-set, and (sort of) namesake song, ‘Love Ices Over’ was saved for last, along with the worldly ‘How We Are’, which features an intro on the record, from a 72-string Persian santur.



Ices is also somewhat known for her cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ and counts Justin Vernon of Bon Iver as a fan and though we didn’t hear the Floyd cover this night, it serves as more a reason to see her again, ideally headlining a club show.

Phantogram’s Josh Carter

The soundstage of Myth went dark and Phantogram entered to open with the first track from its newest album, Voices (Universal Republic), the moody ‘Nothing But Trouble’. Anyone troubled must be ‘Running from the Cops’, and that was appropriately next on the setlist, with Carter stalking the stage with guitar in hand, in dark shirt and ball cap, while Barthel played atmospheric keyboards, dressed in a black leather vest, hip-hugging bodysuit, and black/white patterned jeans.



“We’ve got a full house tonight, we’re f_ _ _ in’ pumped!” Barthel announced, clearly pleased at the 3000+ turnout. Describing their own sound as “street beat psych pop”, the duo crafts a highly palatable blend of Portishead-like trip hop, adding some ambience and classic rock influences and often with a hip-hop beat (think J Dilla) foundation, to meld it all into something distinctive that simultaneously looks forward and back, at the same time.



Acoustics were clear and well-mixed (as usual) standing near the soundboard and the crowd was expectedly skewed younger (and slightly more female) at this suburban venue. The chorus of “keep your body still” during mid-set’s ‘Don’t Move’ (from 2011’s Nightlife) was completely ignored as the crowd shook and bobbed for the whole song, clapping along at the song’s break.



‘Bill Murray’ never looked so good—the song, not the actor.  For this slower number, Barthel donned a mirrored cloak atop a centerstage riser, which reflected the yellow lighting everywhere, like a human disco ball, as Carter added trance-like guitar atmospherics and background vocals for a show highlight.

Phantogram’s Sarah Barthel

After a stirring ‘When I’m Small’ ended the main set, the band re-emerged with Barthel declaring, “Minneapolis/St. Paul is our favorite place to play in the United States” and recalled that show at the Entry just a few years ago.



“Let’s sweat a little more”, Barthel prefaced, going into their initial hit, ‘Mouthful of Diamonds’ and closing with the bottom heavy breakbeat of ‘Celebrating Nothing’, which also proved to be a contradiction; as for the last 75 min, the crowd seemed to celebrating everything.



Phantogram w/Lia Ices continues their tour through October then the duo starts 2015 impressively- supporting Alt-J at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Phantogram has definitely grown up.

john (john@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic