Last night, mostly local The Walkmen performed at the University of Pennsylvania’s Irvine Auditorium in University City, Philadelphia. Despite some parking issues and then list frustrations (i.e.- not being on it, but thanks Matt Barrick, The Walkmen’s drummer, for taking care of business), I was impressed when I walked into the space. Built in 1926, it appears to have been a church at some point, mostly it was the high vaulted ceilings, but it’s a wonderful live performance space with a capacity of over 1,000 and great acoustics.
Openers The Pains of Being Pure at Heart put on an impressive performance that was equal parts sentimental, lively and poppy. Front man Kip Berman, whose soft vocals were complimented beautifully by those of keyboardist Peggy Wang-East, beseeched the audience to not heckle (which they did not), as his grandparents were in the crowd and he wanted them to “think we’re cool.” It was rather endearing, but unnecessary as the entire audience was either transfixed by the sweet indie pop songs or dancing along with the catchy beats emanating from the stage.
For all the energy that The Pains of Being Pure at Heart produced with their energetic sound, the atmosphere took on a much more relaxed feel once the Walkmen took to the stage. The band’s lack of energy throughout the beginning of the set brought down the entire room, save for the one really drunk [he had to be] guy jumping up and down the entire set. While aforementioned drummer Matt Barrick really amped up the energy behind his kit throughout the entire set, it wasn’t until about halfway through the set that the rest of the band began to visibly enjoy being on stage.
Front man Hamilton Leithauser announced that the fivesome had been in the studio all week writing a follow up to last year’s You and Me, which the crowd applauded with vigor. The only portion of the set which the crowd wasn’t thrilled about was Hamilton’s mention of the Yankees, who is seems he’s a fan of, but quickly won back the crowd with letting us know that most of the band are Phillies fan.
Baseball rivalries aside, the Walkmen put on a great show. If you’re the Chicago area this week, you can catch the guys playing Schubas 20th Anniversary Concert, which is already sold out, so I hope you’ve got your tickets. If not, we’ve all got a new album to look forward to in 2010.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart: website | myspace | interview with: Hamilton Leithauser | @ the bowery ballroom | @ wonder ballroom | @ beachland ballroom | @ monolith | interview with | @ black cat | perform “Twins”
The Walkmen: website | myspace | | @ monolith 2009 | @ acl 2009
