Friday, October 2, 2009

The Antlers w/ Holly Miranda @ UPenn Rotunda 10/2

Peak. Peak. Peak. Peak. End. The sense of longing. You can feel it in your chest. Right where the crashing cymbals and haunting vocals used to be. And it spreads. Down to your gut. Up to your shoulders. And extends to the tips of your body. The Antlers have invaded your soul.

Last night, I finished up my classes, grabbed my girlfriend, and hurried to see the band I've been obsessed with since the beginning of the summer. The Antlers delivered a passionate, intimate show unlike any I've seen recently. The show started with "Bear" - destroying all qualms I had about a 'lost in translation' transition from album to live show. And after an excellent opening act by Holly Miranda (think My Brightest Diamond meets Heartless Bastards vocals on top of Au Revoir Simone type ambient guitar riffs), I knew my date was going to be a great one.

As the show progressed, I could feel the mesmerized crowd experience every note, every crash, every moog-induced wave. "Kettering", "Two", and "Epilogue" (the set-ender) were absolutely unbelievable. The Antlers captured every awesome aspect of their album and added a brilliant projection of reality. I was in awe.

The Antlers have gained so much hype lately, I feel like I've watched them explode. But following their tours and twitpics was nothing compared to experiencing their live show. Go. See them live. And buy their album, Hospice. For an album review, check out my previous post. On Frenchkiss Records (along with some great up and coming bands: Passion Pit, The Dodos, The Hold Steady), The Antlers truly made for a fantastic night.


Check out their myspace, or follow them on twitter to listen for yourself.