Michael Angelakos, Passion Pit
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Passion Pit:
Passionate electro-fied performance
June 13, 2010
The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL
Review by Michael Hernandez
Photos by Ashleigh Ahern
“We like to play dance music…”
This simple statement by lead singer Michael Angelakos from dance-rock rompers Passion Pit ignited a roar from the crowd that reverberated throughout The Fillmore on June 13th. Spirits were high, the air was sticky and bodies were melded together while fans yelled at the top of their lungs for every moment Angelakos engaged in some discourse with the crowd.
The level of excitement was something I hadn’t seen in a long time, so to say I was taken aback underwhelms the true nature of the show. Mind you, when I speak of excitement and the overall elation of fans, this is all before the actual show.
Drew Montag Robinson of Brahms
Let me recap:
I read many reviews (fans and critics alike) about Passion Pit live and everyone down the board were in a general consensus that they were great/amazing/orgasmic live. It certainly got me amped up, along with three others who would be joining me to the show. That is, until finding out the show was sold out. Frantic Craigslist phone calls and groveling on Facebook shortly ensued, and by divine intervention (or luck, most likely luck, the best factor one can have), we managed to all get passes. I completely underestimated the, er, passion that fans had for Passion Pit, a band with just one full-length LP, Manners (and their EP Chunk of Change). The word “hype” doesn’t really capture the point that this would be one of the most popular shows that has crossed Miami, and that’s saying something considering our fair city is not known as a provincial electro-rock town (thanks, Pitbull).
David Monk of Tokyo Police Club
Opening band Brahms (who established early on that no one knew who they were) played a disjointed set that got lost in its ’80s/New Wave vibe. Nothing about it was engaging, nor was there a connection with the audience. What I did like were their vibrant, fluorescent drum sticks and maracas, so kudos for engaging one of my senses. Next up was Canada’s Tokyo Police Club, who are a fairly well-established alternative rock band, which made me ask, “Why are they playing with Passion Pit?” This is not to say they were bad. They were quite good, and were well received by the crowd, playing through popular jam tracks like “Citizens of Tomorrow,” “Be Good” and “Breakneck Speed.” Tokyo Police Club even spawned some crowd surfing that I haven’t seen since my ska days. (Oi!) I really enjoyed them, but thought they were misplaced, nearly void of any dance-pop semblance (no “beeps” or “boops”). I could easily picture them opening for someone like The Walkmen or Kings of Leon, but they are capable of being headliners in their own right. Now, it was time to get to our headlining act, Passion Pit.
Never had I seen so many people jumping in unison, with hands raised to the sky in complete bliss, yelling out “higher and higher and higher” with yellow lights flashing all around.
Michael Angelakos, Passion Pit
A burst of excitement filled The Fillmore when the opening song “I’ve Got Your Number” started, with its automated double clap that got the audience in clapping mode and throwing their inflatable sea creatures around (and you know it’s a party when the inflatable toys come out). It can seem daunting incorporating electronic elements to become organic and seamless on stage, and this young band pulls it off exceptionally with its crashing crescendos, buzzing sounds and major synths that culminate into this bombastic sound that infectiously drags you in and keeps you bobbing along through the night.
The energy from Passion Pit was relentless, with occasional breaks in which singer Michael Angelakos told audience members to experience the concert with the band, and suggested they put down the cameras. (He’s not the Jeff Tweedy type, trust me.) He genuinely loved being there with the sold-out crowd, having everyone join him in a sing-a-long to utterly catchy hook songs like “The Reeling” and “To Kingdom Come,” with its crying out for clarity lyrics, and “Smile Upon Me” with its climactic, buzzing finish that reminds me of a final boss level in Mega Man. Oh, and when “Little Secrets” started, the crowd went into a frenzy. Never had I seen so many people jumping in unison, with hands raised to the sky in complete bliss, yelling out “higher and higher and higher” with yellow lights flashing all around. As promised to screaming fans, the final song from their encore was the archetypal smash single “Sleepyhead,” which had everyone displaying their upmost exuberance.
Passion Pit's Michael Angelakos and
OutLoud's Mike Hernandez backstage at The Fillmore
Moments like these are what Angelakos loves, especially when it comes to the rest of his highly dynamic songs. When I asked him what is the most gratifying part of a live show, he responded, “When we go into our deep cuts and I can hear them sing louder than me.” Also, this is someone who admits he is not exactly where he wants to be music-wise. Passion Pit has only released one album and is selling out every venue they visit, but the spectrum is much wider in Angelakos’ eyes. He wants to change radio, make pop “weirder,” and disrupt the monotony of every day radio. A complete, genuine, and humble guy, Michael Angelakos doesn’t know where he or Passion Pit will be a year from now, but he loves every moment of this journey, and even if only one person was singing along, that’d be “good enough” for him.
Fortunately, there was a unified sold-out crowd that had the most passion and enthusiasm that I had ever seen of an audience at The Fillmore. It’s safe to say that Passion Pit will be having countless gratifying moments as crowds clamor to go higher and higher with them.
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Eric Lyle Lodwick, Brahms
David Monks, bass, Tokyo Police Club
Michael Cale Parks, Brahms