As overwhelming anticipation dominates the atmosphere before a rock concert, desperate fans are often forced to sit through a decent opening-band before the headlining group performs. Luckily, when the band Passion Pit took the stage before Muse performed, I was not watching in misery but rather enjoying the band. They performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Sept. 25.
Passion Pit, a band of five guys, originated in Cambridge, MA. When their music gained popularity in college, frontman Michael Angelakos, Nate Donmoyer, Ayad Al Adhamy, Jeff Apruzzese and Ian Hultquist merged into a touring group. Their music can only be described as cheerful electronic pop. Although they only have one official album, Manners, many of their songs have been used in commercials, movies and TV shows.
Out of the 11 songs on their album, Passion Pit performed all but three songs, which happened to exclude my two favorites. Despite this drawback, the concert was still a pleasant lead-up to the falsetto of Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy. Even though the two bands’ styles differ drastically, they somehow fit together well.
The stage was set up with two synthesizers, a drum set, a bass and a guitar. When Passion Pit took the stage, I could not help but smile at their appearances. None of them looked quite like edgy rock stars, but rather geeky in an adorable way.
I was pleasantly surprised to not be the only person in the crowd singing along. Even those who were unfamiliar with the music bobbed their heads along with the beat and gave Passion Pit warm applause.
From my spot standing in the fourth row, I could hear frontman Angelakos’s keys jingling from his belt loop and see his sweat dripping from his curly hair onto the microphone. He did not rock out like a hardcore singer, but did slightly nerdy dance moves, marching to the beat of his own drum.
I was extremely impressed by Angelakos’s falsetto. His voice ranged to such high notes that I was often unable to hit them as I sang along. This aspect added a unique trademark to the band’s sound and matched the tone of the high-pitched electronic music.
When Angelakos held particularly long high notes, his energy and strained expression with his mouth wide open made the audience giggle and yell out appreciation for his drive. With Angelakos’s clear love for music, it was evident that the word “passion” is not restricted to the band’s title, but overflows into his attitude.
Passion Pit played a brief setlist. On one hand, the relatively quick show was a gesture of kindness toward the audience members desperate for Muse to take the stage. However, when Angelakos informed the crowd that they only had two songs left to perform, the group let out disappointed sighs in unison. It seemed that I was not the only one whose heart opened up a little spot for Passion Pit.
When both bands were finished performing, Muse was obviously the music pounding in my head and nearly-deafened ears. However, the next day it was Passion Pit’s tunes which rang in my recovered ears, and I had an urge to listen to them all day. Sure, they will never top Muse in my book, but their impression on me gives them definite bonus points.
My opinion toward Passion Pit remains relatively neutral. While their concert left me with very few complaints, they still did not quite “wow” me. Perhaps it is unfair to judge the young band next to the experienced headliner Muse, but I come to the conclusion that every band must begin somewhere, and Passion Pit is off to a promising start. I look forward to watching the band progress into a household name.
For a full review of Muse’s tour of their album, The Resistance, read the April 26 article, Muse rocks Oracle Arena.
