Photos and Review by Bethany Anna Packer
Last Thursday night Phantogram took the stage at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel. The electronic rock duo comprised of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel is arguably one of alt-rock’s most hypnotic acts at the moment. The group have been making music together since 2009 and have made their mark on the bills of many festivals over the years. The pair just released their third album appropriately titled Three which features the hit “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”. The single has been tearing up the pop and alternative charts and has brought the group to the attention of the masses.
The venue was packed tight as the lights went down on the headliner and the show began with Carter and Barthel’s smokey silhouettes back lit by white strobes . The rising ambient, hypnotic sound of their opening track “Funeral Pyre” set the tone for their show and perfectly demonstrated the new sound of their latest album. The slowly building, pulsating beat slowly amped the energy of the crowd.
The setlist included mostly material from their newest album Three peppered with some older material. Lead singer Barthel has always been the face of the band, and she is virtually impossible to take your eyes off oozing a powerful stage presence.
Although much of the material was pulled from Three, the group didn’t shy away from playing some of their former hits to satisfy their oldest and original fans. “Black Out Days” and “When I’m Small” were some of the nights highlights, which reminded newer fans where the group came from. After closing the set with “When I’m Small” the duo reemerged for a four song encore, which wrapped with their latest single, “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”.
For the past seven years Phantogram has always been able to satisfy an audience, and their performance in Providence was no different and I can’t wait to see them perform in the future.
