Feeling tired, I decided to forgo the openers tonight and arrived just in time for the start of The Airborne Toxic Event's set at 11.This is an L.A. Band that won me over last year when I was researching the unknown names on the Pemberton line-up. Does This Mean You're Moving On immediately made it onto my playlist and ATE were high on the list of must-sees for me when the Festival finally rolled around in July.
I was not disappointed: they were fun and engaging in the bright afternoon light on the second stage, and seemed genuinely grateful to have been invited. I knew I'd want to check them out if they came through town. And on Wednesday night, they did just that.
Just like on their debut album, The Airborne Toxic Event opened with Wishing Well and closed with Innocence. The first two songs were pleasing, but had me worried that the band's charisma was MIA. But by the third song of the night, Gasoline, it looked like they were warmed up and starting to have fun.
Anna Bulbrook, alternately on violin, keyboards and tambourine was winning and bouncy. She and singer/guitarist Mikel Jollett were the main visual show, climbing on the speakers, drum riser, and sides of the stage and grinning madly at each other. Stephen Chen on guitar was stone-faced and absorbed in playing, as was bassist Noah Harmon for most of the set, save the odd shy smile. Daren Taylor on drums was energetic, but I couldn't help visually comparing him to one of the mustached detectives on Hot Fuzz.The sold-out Vancouver crowd was a bit loud and chatty during the show, which Jollett commented on a couple of times, scolding and teasing the audience, then apologizing for being snarky. He excused the limited range of his voice to us early on, saying they considered cancelling due to some throat issues, but after a shot of cortisone they decided to come play for us.
Despite the sound being lower than I would have liked, it was a fun, intimate show, and I enjoyed seeing them live again. If I get the chance, I'll see them again.After a short set (we arrived at 11 and were out at midnight), ATE gave us one encore, Innocence, during which they invited their openers, Rademacher and the Henry Clay Project on stage with them, thanking them for being great tour mates, introduced the band, and then invited the audience to come up on stage if they wanted to. A handful of fans took them up on the offer, dancing and singing. I wonder how long this tradition will last, as I have no doubt this band is going to be playing larger and larger venues very soon.
Partial Setlist:
Wishing Well
Gasoline
Does This Mean You're Moving On?
Echo Park (new)
Goodbye Horses (Q Lazzarus cover)
Sometime Around Midnight
Plus:
Another new song
Papillon (I think)
Something New (I think)
Encore:
Innocence
