Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Making Time with Neon Indian + Memory Tapes

Neon Indian
Last weekend brought two hot acts to the stage for Philly dance party institution Making Time. After missing Neon Indian's set at the Barbary a few months ago there was no way I was going to miss them again. Alan Palomo brought his full crew with him and let loose their space pop synth navigated jams. Neon Indian's album Psychic Chasm is the ideal fodder for your home dance party needs but when they bring it to the stage they push and pull at their tracks in just the right ways to create a unique experience that truly rowdies up the crowd. They kept it short, hitting all the popular points like Deadbeat Summer, but promised to come back again soon since they're making the obligatory indie band move to Brooklyn. Judging from their presence on the Late Night TV circuit I'd venture a guess that the next time they come through town it'll be at a larger venue. Glad I saw them when I did.




Memory Tapes quickly made their way to the stage after Neon Indian and soon held the attention of all  in the room. I was expecting a simple replay of what you get from their recorded stuff - this wouldn't have been bad at all since Making Time is, at its core, a dance party and Memory Tapes have mastered a real nice funky smooth dance vibe - but I was elated to find a far more dynamic set. New Jersey native Davey Hawk, while backed by a good bit of electronic instrumental support, also had a tight live drum accompanying his guitar lead. The nuance of Memory Tapes' arrangements really popped in the live delivery. They satisfied the movers in the crowd by remaining incredibly danceable while those there to watch got plenty to enjoy. It was a very satiating performance and perfect for the Making Time standard.



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I was at this show. Good times, though the crowd was dancing the line of obnoxious.

Good to come across another local blogger. Feel free to check out mine some time.