As you should all know by now, whenever Phantogram comes to town, I shall be seeing them if I have any say in the matter. I find it hard to believe that it’s already been two years since I’ve last seen them, but here we are!
What was kind of special and cool about this show is that they played at the same venue almost exactly ten years prior. A show that I was also in attendance! That show was extra special, as my friend and I snagged a front row view, I managed to get one of the setlists, and then they were signing any purchases after the show! And apparently ten years ago bag size didn’t matter, because I most definitely had a drawing with me that I was able to give them after the show! It was a memorable one, for sure.
This time around, the bag policy is tighter and they are a little more famous, so I splurged a little and bought their VIP package. This was a pittance compared to some of the Kpop ones I’ve purchased in the past, but I was curious what the turnout would be. Pretty decent! No soundcheck in this experience, but it’s been so long since I’ve done any sort of VIP that wasn’t Kpop that I kind of forget how it goes. We did get a signed tour poster and some cute little pins, and then we were able to chat a little bit one by one and get a photo with Sarah and Josh. They were both incredibly nice. I told them about seeing them at the venue ten years ago, along with their Big Grams performance at Bunbury. I was a dumbass and totally didn’t mention that I’d be seeing them in NYC that weekend, but still, it was a great exchange.
The show opened with a local rapper, who seemed rather wholesome despite some of the lyrical content. At first glance, it seemed like a random pull for an opening act for someone like Phantogram, but I actually think it translated well. Heck, that’s how Big Boi came to know and love them – for their beats! When Phantogram took the stage, there was minimal talking, and they rocked through a ton of songs! In looking at some other sets, I was nervous I wasn’t going to get some of my favorites, but I got them all besides “Calling All” and “Dear God!” I always thought that “Fall in Love” was their biggest hit, but as the opening track to their set, I guess that’s not the case, but a strong entrance, nonetheless.
I thought they did a fair mix of songs from all of their albums, and we even got some rare gems like “Turning Into Stone,” “I Don’t Blame You,” and “Bad Dreams.” I was positively thrilled that “Feedback Invisible” and “Wasn’t Meant to Be” were on the set – apparently these ones rose above the rest as the top tracks of their most recent album. I may have actually cried if “Don’t Move” didn’t make the set, so blessedly, it did. Even though “Mouthful of Diamonds” is the song that launched their career, I’m not always confident that it will make the setlist, but I was really happy that it did. “In a Spiral ” and “Howling at the Moon” are meant to be experienced in a live setting, so that was also fabulous. We even got a cover – the first ever – of Cold War Kids’ “Hang Me Up to Dry!”
All in all, it was an incredible show! I actually think it was better than the last couple of times I’ve seen them, so it had me extra excited to see them again in a few days. I hope we get more tours, or new music, so I can keep gonig to support this amazing band!
