Last weekend, the Kia Soul Collective concert series rolled into Philadelphia. The premise was simple, if a bit odd: test-drive a Kia Soul, see free kickass concerts. We sent two intrepid writers to the 23rd Armory to give the cars — and music — a spin.
Still Kids By Ronnie DiSimone
It’s hard to imagine that a band like MGMT, with their sparkly synthesizers, mechanically precise drums and layers of multi-tracked studio icing, could possibly be a good live act. Moreover, it’s bizarre that a band with so much indie cred would hold a concert in which the only way to get tickets is to test-drive a Kia. But so it was on Sunday night at the 23rd Street Armory: a mob of plaid shirt and skinny-jean-clad youths waited with bated breath for MGMT to take the stage.
As 8 p.m. approached, lights bathed the stage in pink and blue, illuminating a vast set-up of keyboards, bongos, zebra-striped amplifiers and an enormous banner bearing a tessellation of Kias. No sooner did the lights go out than a dense cloud of pot smoke enveloped the proceedings. The band took the stage and dove right into their set, but they seemed uncomfortable.
They sounded good; the five-piece band replicated the core duo’s polished studio sheen well on stage, but they were going through the motions, not actually performing. Chalk it up to nerves. When “Time to Pretend” dropped third in the set, everyone went nuts. MGMT seized the rush of energy and hit stride, delivering an impassioned rendition of the song (complete with an improvised guitar solo — just like a real rock band!).
MGMT kept that momentum through much of the 46-minute set. The standouts included “Song for Dan Treacy,” an upbeat surf-punk blast off their upcoming album Congratulations, and “Electric Feel,” the quintessential MGMT dance-rock track. There was one serious disappointment, however, in the final song of the set. “Kids” kicked in, and the crowd correspondingly lost control. Meanwhile, the band stopped playing in favor of a pre-recorded instrumental track, except for the guitarist, who took the opportunity to noodle aimlessly over the best parts of the song. It was a mess, and after it was over, MGMT thanked the audience for their sense of humor and walked off the stage.
They came back out for an encore moments later, delivering a good rendition of “Weekend War” and repairing some of the damage in the process, but the show on the whole was marked by inexpert showmanship. However, MGMT clearly has a firm handle on its studio product and serious potential as a touring band; they just need to iron out the kinks in their live set.
Not Shootin' Blanks By Nick Stergiopoulos
Despite a rather disappointing turnout (barely 40 people showed up for the free show) hip hop/rap artist Amanda Blank delivered an incredible and energetic 30-minute set. Her two DJs began the show with several heart-pounding mashups that got the crowd moving.
Blank then took the stage wearing a hooded black robe, her face cast in darkness. The Grim Reaper-like figure began moving to the beat, faster and faster until the robe was shed, revealing a skimpy outfit underneath that looked something like a fancy one-piece bathing suit. For the rest of the show Blank’s energy was unrelenting, her bare feet never stopping for a second.
Blank, known for her provocative and sexually charged lyrics, performed songs from her debut album I Love You. While clearly influenced by hip hop, Blank isn’t afraid to experiment with different beats and pastiches, and the production by Diplo, Switch and XXXChange draws as much from electronic dance music as it does rap. Highlights from the night included the catchy “Make it Take it,” “Something Bigger Something Better,” a track clearly influenced by M.I.A., and “Might Like You Better [If We Slept Together],” Blank’s most popular (and dirty) single. While more tender tracks such as “A Love Song” fell a little flat on the album, Blank sold them live with an added emotional edge.
Although still relatively unknown, Blank has some big venues lined up including Terminal 5 in New York City. Be sure to catch her now — in time, tickets for her shows may be hard to come by.
