Satiated: Phantogram
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| Paul Dunkley |
It’s weird to leave your house in black fishnet
stockings, a small black dress, and tall black suede boots in broad daylight. The
neighbors look twice. But when the sultry eletro-rock group Phantogram comes to
Santa Barbara, you better look the part.
Just off the first weekend of Coachella, the
duo was fresh and full of energy as they performed in front of a completely
packed house at the Arlington Theater. Recently transformed into a platinum
blonde, Sarah Barthel epitomized the glamorous rock vixen clad in tall leather
boots and not much else, while Josh Carter remained true to his jeans and cap. The
large crowd itself was an eclectic mixture of casual and over-the-top rock outfits
that made people watching in a lobby a true sport.
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| Paul Dunkley |
Phantogram is touring in support of their third
studio album, aptly named Three. The
duo’s sound has matured and solidified over the years, and they are now quite
the impressive live band. Named after an optical illusion in which
2-dimensional images appear to be 3D, Phantogram brings this illusion to the
stage with them with intense light imagery splayed across the entire set reinforcing
the intensity of the music.
They hit the stage hard with their narcissistic
song, “You’re Mine,” heavy on the beats and dark lyrics. Easily moving into
“Same Old Blues” and newly added to the set-list “Run, Run, Blood” off Three. It was impressive how Phantogram
stayed true to the newer songs, interweaving older songs in the middle
including “Black Out Days,” Fall in Love,” and “When I’m Small,” and ending with
Josh’s newer solo song “Barking Dog,” followed by “Cruel World” and then
finally the big hit “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore,” they effortlessly created
a set that moved from new-to-old to-new again.
Beats and vocals filled every corner of the
packed house, the growth and sound of the band phenomenal considering, as Sarah
relayed, the first time they played Santa Barbara they played at the Mercury
Lounge seven years ago. The band I saw tonight definitely knew what I was
craving and knew how to satiate it. (Take it, take it, take it like you love it
now.)