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A night in review: Passion Pit at Black Cat
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Photo: Elizabeth Weinberg
Less than two years ago, college student Michael Angelakos created six songs as a Valentine's Day gift for his girlfriend. He concluded the mixtape with a dreamy pop number driven by pounding beats and hand claps, further led by synthesizers and his own falsetto.
But, as made evident a year later, “Sleepyhead” would only mark the beginning of an unexpected music career. Critics soon embraced that mixtape, Chunk of Change, as if Angelakos had made it just for them. Passion Pit grew to a five-piece band, then rose to greater popularity after playing at last year's CMJ Music Marathon and this year's South by Southwest.
So long before the spring 2009 release of their first full-length, Manners, Passion Pit had already developed a reputation for delivering high-energy performances showcasing their infectious beats. Despite this, their live set only goes from good to great once Angelakos lets himself go, as shown through last night's sold-out performance at the Black Cat.
With his body rigid, Angelakos struggled to reach his vocal range for most of the first song, “Make Light,” then momentarily through “Better Things” and “Let Your Love Grow Tall.” As the rest of the band swayed, shook and sang along with enthusiasm, he kept his brown eyes fixated on the sound booth, as if he was seeking perfection.
Angelakos eventually found reassurance he wanted, though he first had to look elsewhere. From the moment the first synth chord struck, the crowd embraced every pulsing beat and soaring keyboard melody. It jumped in sync to the chorus of “Little Secrets” (“... higher and higher and higher...”) and chimed in whenever Angelakos could not. Gradually, such encouragement broke down his stares into smiles.
So for the encore, “The Reeling,” Angelakos stepped away from the synthesizer and directly faced the audience. He pranced to his own beat and sang with complete ease – perhaps as he realized that while his music may be electronic, the main source of energy is all human. Regardless, after he charged the audience through that final number, the last staccato notes did not merely fade into the air. Rather, they disappeared quickly, soon enveloped by the roaring cheers of the crowd.
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