05 May Passion Pit Reigns Supreme

Photo By: Chris Salata

There were still minutes to go before Boston’s pop phenomenon Passion Pit seized the FPL stage, but the crowd, giddy with excitement, could not keep from chanting their name.

It was thrilling to discover the synthy quintet would be helping headline our own sunny festival. Passion Pit has only played South Florida twice in recent years– first for a cringe-worthy set at Ultra Music Festival in 2010 (not their fault), and then again at Miami’s Fillmore Theater with an epically redeeming performance of their debut album Manners.

In the past two years, the boys’ South Florida fan base has grown exponentially, and last night, many attendees witnessed their effervescent allure for the first time.

With a mist covered stage and citrus-colored lighting, the band dove into “Moth’s Wings” and leader singer Michael Angelakos began to move.

Dressed handsomely in a suit and tie, Angelakos, with his mane of brown hair, truly resembles a restless lion in a cage. The falsetto singer never stopped moving for a moment. He paced-raced-danced across the stage in a mesmerizing electric frenzy, like a brilliant scientist on the brink of a new cure. Angelakos physically bent his slight body through each song’s climax.

The crowd was dizzy and exhausted just looking at him but couldn’t break their stares.

Angelakos dedicated the band’s new single, “Talk A Walk,” to Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who passed away yesterday morning after a heroic battle with cancer.

“Talk A Walk” will be released to the airwaves in just under two weeks, according to reports. The song may be one of the band’s best tracks yet with introspective lyrics and a endearingly catchy chorus.

Less than halfway through their set, Angelakos had already managed to sweat through his classy attire and needed a puff from his red inhaler.

“Allergies,” he said with a sweet smile, before easing into “Live To Tell The Tale.”

In addition to hits “Sleepyhead,” “Little Secrets,” and “Better Things,” the band also sampled two more new tracks from their upcoming sophomore album Gossamer. “Carried Away” and “Mirrored Sea” left the audience in blissful anticipation for July 24.

In this particular journalist’s opinion, energy makes a concert. Sound is important, lighting is important, but the best concerts are those where your eyeballs are as weary as your legs.

Passion Pit was a workout, maybe one of the best sets of this festival weekend.

Good luck with your new album, PP. You are a breath of fresh air in today’s music world. Your fans love you. Please come back down south soon.

Here is a preview of “Take A Walk” from another concert:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0l7l9AEYP8[/youtube]

Set List:

Moth’s Wings
Take A Walk
Better Things
The Reeling
Folds In Your Hands
Carried Away
Live To Tell The Tale
To Kingdom Come
Let Your Love Grow Tall
Eyes As Candles
Smile Upon Me
Sleepyhead

Encore:

Mirrored Sea
Little Secrets