Austin’s post-rave rockers, Ghostland Observatory, gave Hollywood’s Henry Fonda Theater a healthy serving of eye candy and minimalist beats — but not without heavy-handed remarks directed to the resistant, too-cool-for-school crowd.
Opening the set with ‘Piano Man’ and ‘Stranger Lover’ off Paparazzi Lightning, Ghostland reserved their energy for later in the set, as did the audience (who didn’t truly start dancing along with frontman Aaron Behrens until he unleashed one of their biggest hits, ‘Sad Sad City’).
Clearly, Behrens and his cape-clad partner, Thomas Turner, wanted to see people ditch the balcony seats, extinguish their cigarettes on the rooftop deck and get their lame asses to the pit.
Scoping my surroundings, Pitchfork Media’s recent harsh criticism of Robotique Majestique, Ghostland’s latest release, came to mind. “Daft Punk for frat boys.” Ouch. But seriously, look at a random shot I took of the front row…
Thankfully, a few more songs in, someone broke out a glow necklace and a little bit of crowd surfing ensued. The dance floor progressively became sticky with spilled cocktails, another good sign that people were finally letting loose.
After playing popular songs like ‘Shoot ‘Em Down’ and ‘Move With Your Lover,’ along with several rocking newbies like ‘Heavy Heart,’ ‘HFM’ and ‘Dancing on My Grave,’ the band thanked the crowd and retreated. It was obvious that Ghostland broke down Hollywood’s collective frigidity because the audience was stomping, clapping and shouting for an encore, which Behrens and Turner delivered on a conditional basis.
“I need you to do me a favor,” announced Behrens after returning to the stage. “Leave all the bullshit at the door. Bring yourself in here because this is our house tonight. It doesn’t matter what town you’re in. You’re people. We are people. We are here to celebrate life, and shake off all the strife.”
Tour Schedule
Apr 20 2008 8:00 Belly Up Club Aspen, Colorado
May 2 2008 9:00 Metro Chicago, Illinois
May 3 2008 9:00 St. Andrews Hall Detroit, Michigan
May 15 2008 9:00 House of Blues San Diego, California
May 16 2008 9:00 Joshua Tree Music Festival Joshua Tree, California
May 17 2008 6:00 Southern Comfort Music Experience Atlanta, Georgia
Jun 14 2008 12:00 Bonnaroo Music Festival Manchester, Tennessee
Jun 26 2008 8:00 Hove Festival Norway Oslo, Oslo
Jul 19 2008 8:00 Whtewater Ampitheatre New Braunfels, Texas
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