Vive Le Rock

Last night I saw the French rock band Phoenix. Sure, you might expect some GBV-like deconstruction with a French band, but this was just straight ahead rock played with just the right amount of bombast. It's been awhile since I have seen some nice crescendoing jamming by a rock band, but they did it twice and it was excellent. The crowd went bonkers for the closer, 1901, and the band rewarded the excitement with an extended reprise of the song featuring with the singer at the bank of the venue. I like it when bands put the show into the show.

I thought they were a relatively new band, so I was surprised they played so confidently and tightly. It turns out the latest Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is their fourth album, so they must have lots of touring under their belt. They knew how to get the crowd engagement with lots of movement and keeping the tempo driving throughout.

The crowd was young, so young that lots of these people weren't alive when I began drinking legally. These youngsters move a lot more than the people at some of the more recent shows. It helped that I worked my way to the front where the people were completely psyched, but whenever I looked back, the sold out crowd was engaging in fist pumping action.

Now that I know they have so many records, I think I need to go get them.