Phoenix w/ Amazing Baby at the Varsity 6/23/09

Phoenix took the Varsity Theater stage last night in front of packed, sold out crowd.  Now, I really don’t throw this around lightly but last night was probably the best show I’ve seen this year… quite possibly ever.  I would like to note before I go on, that I was at the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, and Animal Collective (to name a few), all of whom put on great shows…but nothing like last night.  Riding Wolfgang Amadeus, which in my opinion is a top 5 album of 2009, the band has been selling out venues across North America, and it’s no wonder with the set they put on.  It was beginning to end, an absolute joy to watch.  Front man Thomas Mars was great, eventually making his way into the middle of the crowd for the end of an extended version of “1901″, to close out the show.  Overall, it was an amazing night…an amazing, hot, sweat-drenched, night.

Now for the news that all of those who didn’t make it last night want to hear…the Star Tribune is reporting that both Phoenix and Grizzly Bear (I think separately) are making another stop in Minneapolis…this fall!  I’m awaiting confirmation from Phoenix, but it’s supposed to take place at First Avenue.  Overall, it was an amazing night…an amazing, hot, sweat-drenched, night.

The Brooklyn band Amazing Baby opened the show with a short, sweet set.  Outside of listening to their stuff for the last six months, I really didn’t know that much about them.  Shadowed by two, giant Orange amp setups, and a lot of plants…they put on a surprisingly good set, to an almost full crowd.  Not much more to say, other than it’s hard sometimes to remember an opening band after such an amazing headliner.  I will be catching these guys at Lolla though, so more to come.