On a hot Friday afternoon a couple thousand people lined up for a ferry only less aggravating than the weekend MTA. The heat and the wait challenged the endearing qualities of Governors Island's secluded beach venue, but awesome sets and great sound for two out of three bands did not let our sunburns peel in vain.
Swim is a lock in the top 10 albums of 2010; it's a complex and carefully sculpted soundscape that conceals its danceable qualities beneath syncopated rhythms and uncommon timbres. The harps, bells and flutes could have transferred badly to stage and we would have understood. Lots of bands use drum machines and pre-programmed synths to play what Caribou created plainly in front of us.The band sat facing each other, maybe because they liked to, or maybe because they had to as the two drum sets visibly relied on each other for cues. By extending instrumental bridges, Caribou turned the cerebral Swim into a sweaty dance party.
Phantogram was good as usual. This was the third or fourth time we've seen them, and it was the farthest we've ever been from the band. Casual fans in the crowd knew the singles, a sign that this band's buzz only continues to grow. This is certainly in no thanks to Barthel's good moves and perfect hair bob. Certainly not.
Buy Caribou's Swim
(only $6) and Phantogram's Eyelid Movies
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