 "Photo: Last.fm")
A refreshing breeze of Parisian cool swept through Denver last week when French alternative rock band Phoenix took to the stage at the Ogden.
Based in Paris, Phoenix has been touring nonstop both in the U.S. and around the world. The band gained exposure by playing major music festivals such as the 2010 Coachella Music Festival as well as intimate club gigs.
The band is showcasing its fourth studio album, Wolfgang Amadeus, and kicked things off with a rousing version of “Lizstomania,” one of many hits off the new disc.
Following “Lizstomania,” the group ran through “Fences,” “Lasso,” “Girlfriend,” “Rome” and a mind-blowing version of “Love Like A Sunset Pt. I,” complete with a booming bass and colorful light show. It was clear that their 2010 Grammy win for Best Alternative Music Album was well deserved.
While it seems that many bands these days sound better in the studio than on stage, Phoenix breaks away from that norm. Lead singer Thomas Mars’ vocals sound just as good if not better than their recorded material.
Coupled with the rest of the group’s high energy, it looked like the band was having as much fun playing their music as the audience did listening to them.
The crowd was an interesting mix of both young and aging hipsters and at first; it was hard to tell if the audience was enjoying the performance at all since most were barely dancing.
Only when songs ended and the audience cheered was it apparent just how loved the group is in Denver. Mars interacted with the audience throughout the show and the group’s delight with the set was clearly visible.
In a somewhat predictable fashion, Phoenix closed with their smash hit, “1901,” a romantic homage to Parisian history.
Sending the crowd into a fit, the guys played their hearts out. Mars moved out into the crowd and finally pulled people from the audience up on stage to dance.
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