After an uninspired techno performance by Heathered Pearls and a grandiose yet bland performance by Tycho, Phantogram took over Orlando’s Hard Rock Live needing to carry the weight of the night’s entertainment. They were more than up to the task.
Supported by a three-piece backing band, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter took the stage to the tension-building rapid thumping bass that makes up the main hook of “You’re Mine.” The energetic performance, with Barthel and Carter trading vocal jabs over a breakneck groove, quickly won over the crowd. After playing another song from their current album, “Same Old Blues,” Phantogram played crowd-favorite “Black Out Days” from 2014’s Voices, with Barthel dancing to the hopping beat.
Though the setlist was dominated by tracks from Three, Phantogram peppered in enough older songs to please the longtime fans, including two tracks from their 2011 EP Nightlife. Upbeat, danceable songs made up most of the set. Barthel owned the stage with a swagger, her unique dance style, and a surprising vulnerability. Carter, whether trading vocals or laying down sick riffs on guitar, was the perfect complement to Barthel’s stage presence.
Though the vocals were perhaps too low in the mix, Phantogram’s recognizable sound, from their skittering triphop beats to the fuzzed-out basslines to Carter’s trademark guitar, sounded like electro-pop music at its finest.
The band slowed it down toward the middle of the set. After the piano crooner “Answer,” Barthel told the story of her sister’s suicide and pleaded with the crowd, “It’s okay to not be okay, and if you’re not okay, tell someone.” She then announced that all proceeds from this tour’s ticket sales will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. As means of segue, the band then launched into the power ballad “Destroyer,” one of their songs dealing with the suicide and easily the most passionate performance of the night. Standing atop a raised platform, Barthel belted out the song’s jarring chorus, howling, “I can kill you all and finally be alone, destroyer, destroyer!”
After Barthel bartered with a fan for a sign depicting Bill Murray’s face – a reference to the Voices track named after the actor – Phantogram ended their regular set with their three best songs, the frantic earwig “Howling at the Moon,” the dynamic “Fall In Love” – which is their best composition thanks in part to one of the greatest bass lines ever recorded – and the Eyelid Movies hit “When I’m Small.” For the encore, they chose two of the best songs on Three, the bombastic “Cruel World” and crossover rock hit “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore.”
Phantogram’s performance was energetic, inspired, and eclectic. Both members juggled multiple instruments – Barthel going between bass and keyboards when not running the stage with mic in hand and Carter alternating between guitar, bass, and synths. The band captured the energy and excitement of their electro-pop sound in a way that few in their genre do, and in doing so, transcended the boundaries to push the limits of how fun a pop performance can be.
