Not since the accidental fork stabbing incident I witnessed at this year’s Lollapalooza in Chicago have I seen a live show. So last Monday night Ashley and I ventured to the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines to catch Passion Pit. We arrived a little after 7:30 pm, while the crowd was still filtering into the ballroom. It wasn’t a huge crowd but it was fairly decent for a Monday night. It was composed of mostly underage chicks, hipsters and music types in their late 20s. I don’t like to paint with broad strokes but considering Ashley and I were two of the fifteen people at the show who were over the age of 25, I think it’s safe to say that we fell into the latter category. I don’t read Pitchfork, drink PBR, wear skinny jeans or proclaim to love obscure bands just because they are obscure so I will not be labeled a hipster, dammit!
I was pretty excited that The Envy Corps were slated to be one of the two opening bands. I’ve seen them a couple of times now and have always enjoyed their live shows. For those of you who are not familiar with The Envy Corps, they are one the best bands from the Des Moines metro. They recently had their Zeppelin-esque song “Gnats” featured on an episode of Entourage. And they have opened for national acts like The Editors and The Killers. They make some really catchy electrically generated guitar rock. So if you haven’t heard them yet, you should definitely check them out. Okay, now that I’ve successfully convinced you that I’m the Envy Corps’ super fan and quite possibly a hipster, I will sheepishly continue on.
The Envy Corps played a small yet solid set which included the songs “Rhinemaidens”, “Kid Gloves” and “Wires & Wool”. They sounded great and you could feel a sense of optimism bleed through the majority of their songs. The ominous lighting and overly fogged ball room fused with their atmospheric sound provided a nice back drop.
After The Envy Corps completed their set Ashley and I retreated to the bar to wait for the next band to take the stage. Around 9 pm, Bad Rabbits appeared, and despite their crappy name, they were a really fun and energetic group to see live. They have this cool 80s funk/R&B vibe that makes you want to dance your shoes off. Their music is an interesting blend of several different genres. It’s like a jungle-juice cocktail made of a pint of Prince, a cup of P-Funk and a dash of vintage Bobby Brown. But trust me, it’s a lot better than that mystery concoction you used to drink in college.
After jamming out to Bad Rabbits’ infectious vibe, the wife and I decided to move towards the back because apparently once you hit your late 20s you start to get tired after 10 pm. Even though I was starting to hit a wall I was still really excited to see Passion Pit. They’re a five-piece group from Cambridge, Massachusetts who creates electronically mixed pop music that is not predictably manufactured for Ryan Seacrest’s radio show. Basically, they’re not the Black Eyed Peas.
When Passion Pit finally emerged onto stage, you could hear the faint sound of Michael Angelakos’ unique falsetto carrying through the ballroom. It took a few songs before the crowd really became engaged but it wasn’t long before the majority of the spectators were dancing along to “Little Secrets”.
Despite the sparse crowd, Passion Pit seemed energized throughout their set. Michael Angelakos spent the majority of the evening spinning around the strobe lit stage. At one point in the evening I may or may not have busted out a few patented dance moves myself. I decided to hold back a little because I’m trying not to embarrass the wife in public anymore.
Overall, I thought Passion Pit put on a great show. The highlight of the night for me was hearing them cover “Dreams” by The Cranberries. It was an awesome concert and it sure beat another mundane Monday night of watching football.
