I used to get this panic-stricken feeling on dress-up days in elementary school—like I would show up and awkwardly have not received some memo canceling the event and have to sit through an entire day dressed in a Popeye costume my mom put together. I haven’t been so concerned about this in my hardened, jaded latter years…until last Thursday. I showed up at what appeared to be 80s Prom Night in my 9-to-5 work garb. There were leggings. Skinny jeans. Vests. A matching set of silver sequined mini-dresses. Oh, the horror.
But wait! Despite the ridiculous clothing and spinning disco ball, it’s not 80s Prom Night or even a tribute to Molly Ringwald— as it turns out, it’s just a fantastic evening of music by Panther, Glass Candy and Architecture in Helsinki. Why the outrageous garb? I’ll never know, but as soon as the lights went down, I felt a little less awkward.
I unfortunately missed Panther, but I heard that former solo artist Charlie Salas-Humara is now joined onstage by Joe Kelly, who plays live drums. Charlie’s debut CD Secret Lawns was released in March, and apparently the current duo is working on an album of new material to be released next year. I’ll have to catch them next time they’re down from Portland.
Glass Candy came on to what sounded like bongo beats on the drum machine. Sprightly singer Ida No, one half of the bizarre beat-box duo, bounded onstage with a signature dance style, part hippie twirl, part robot and part sexy groove. Partner Johnny Jewel controlled the drum machine and keyboards, focusing on the lowest octave so that the low bass growls vibrated the audience. Ida’s vocals, as they plowed through a set of songs including “Love Love Love” and “The Last Time,” mixed Debbie Harry-like rapping with more feminine repetitive choruses. For the last track they were joined onstage for a live bongo performance by one of the talented percussionists in Architecture in Helsinki.
After a short intermission filled with obscure 80s tunes by the resident DJ, AIH took the stage to unparalleled fanfare. The Melbourne-based group is rivaled only by The Decemberists in size and lyrical content, but they bring a certain energy and romance that The Decemberists lack onstage. Based on the content of 2005’s In Case We Die and the recently released Places Like This, I expected a reasonably mellow performance focused on instrumentation rather than showmanship, but what I got was an exuberant show that highlighted both. Ring leader and lead singer Cameron Bird was joined onstage by Jamie Mildren, James Cecil, Sam Perry, Gus Franklin and token lady Kellie Sutherland (in the coolest Stay Puft Marshmallow Man T-shirt and Lycra stretch pants). Switching instruments like a game of musical chairs, the group accompanied Cameron’s trademark falsetto with a frenzy of playing that defied tempo and technical norms. Many of the tracks—such as “Red Turned White,” “Nothing’s Wrong,” “Debbie” and “Hold Music”—came from the latest album, which many fans already knew well enough to sing along. I appreciated the addition of “The Cemetery,” “Wishbone” and others from In Case We Die, since that was the album that really turned me on to their melodramatic pop tunes. And in a nod to campy Australian cinema, AIH did a comical cover of “Live It Up” by Mental as Anything from the Crocodile Dundee soundtrack.
Debbie Harry vocals? Stay Puft T-shirts? Crocodile Dundee references? Ok, so clearly it’s my fault that I wasn’t adequately prepared for such an onslaught of nostalgic neon. I’ve definitely learned that I need to keep at least a sweatband and some blue eye shadow in my purse for such emergency situations.
More on AIH: architectureinhelsinki.com
More on Glass Candy: www.crystalmigraine.co.uk
More on Panther: panthertouch.com