Photos by Meghan Brown. For more shows, check out our photo section
In an exclusive acoustic session we filmed earlier this week,
The Klaxons were a quiet and mild mannered bunch, preparing an effortless acoustic session that seemed to compliment that demeanor rather elegantly. The danceable, intergalactic psych rock the lads generally powerwash audiences with, both in concert and on albums (
Myths of the Near Future and
Surfing the Void), came stripped of its percussive heartbeat, piercing guitar work, and lofty atmospheric flourishes. In its place was something much more lush, with an emphasis on vocal harmonies and the band's wiley falsettos. We'll share the video with you this week.
Last Monday evening came with it a different sort of experience, as we scoped the band in what appeared to be a more native habitat for the fiery four-piece. Favoring something that fell a bit more on the wild side of what we had asked them to do, the band drove a rapturous mass of people bonkers at the Bowery. A fun loving reason to leave the couch, the remote, and any inclination to watch Monday Night Football in the space-dust.
Pairing familiar anthems like "Two Receivers" and "Golden Skans" with tasty new,
Surfing the Void tracks ("Echoes" was the moment man), they were an absolute force to be reckoned with. Even
this guy couldn't resist the urge to very visibly sing along (blowing any chance for incognito attendance). The appeal of Klaxons and their energy is universal.
Singer/Keyboardist James Righton repeatedly flailed his limbs in the air, pointing to the heavens, perhaps in ode to the mighty Klaxon mascot, Space Cat (orbiting Earth as one of our favorite album covers of the year). Their songs excited them. The audience excited them. The pure hyperbolic joy that washed over everyone excited them. They were in their arena of play.
Which is why we think you should get excited about them. The Klaxons should be your favorite new team...I guarantee they will never lose.
david pitz
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Pictures: Klaxons at The Bowery Ballroom
MP3: "Flashover"
Klaxons on Myspace 