Islands @ Barbary 6/30

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Islands @ Barbary 6/30

POSTED: Thursday, July 1, 2010, 5:30 PM

Filed Under: Music Concert Review

photo | Julia West

Last night the Barbary wasn't just some small venue in Fishtown, it was a psychedelic spaceship cruising around the bends of Saturn's rings. At least that's how it felt when Islands hit the cramped stage. As soon as singer Nick Thorburn had the mic in hand, his back was to the audience and he was sighing through the speakers. Seconds later he was singing "Switched On," standing on a platform and reaching his spindly fingers up to the orange and blue stage lights, and pushing the blades of the ceiling fan. Thorburn, dressed head to toe in white with a pair of dark shades, lived up to his space age persona in both the look and the sound. He reached down to take a camera from a fan, turned it on them and snapped a photo. After returning it to its rightful owner he gently plucked someone's glasses from their face and put them over his own. And the lanky frontman did it all gracefully, without missing a word, cooing "they sing along when you switch on." Thorburn was friendly, asking Philadelphia how we've been. "You look good. Still staying on top," he said as more of a statement than a question. Was this guy serious? Did he truly enjoy the polite chit chat between songs, or was he dogging us? Before there was enough time to think that maybe he was getting off on being goofy, the wonky-as-hell guitars come crashing in, followed closely by warbling keys and exploding drums. Granted, the poppy songs tended to sound alike before long, few of them actually standing on their own. But this is a band that comes off so much better live than they do in the studio. While nothing was wildly different from the recorded sound, the set was its own whammy-laced gem. The live performance allowed space for the oddball synths and feedback to be brought to life. If the scene were a cartoon, squiggly movement lines would permeate from the speakers, the instruments, and around the four captains on stage who were navigating the dance-ship.

Peanut Buttercup

Posted 2010-07-01 18:15:33

SO glad to see an Islands review!! That show was awesome. Love those guys.

Posted by Julia West @ 5:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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