The newly restored Kings Theatre wouldn’t have been my first guess for the New York live return of Passion Pit, who last played New York in September 2013 (and who I last saw at Governors Ball 2012). But then again, this is a band that has constantly rose above their given expectations, they did play Madison Square Garden after all.
The night was also a series of fresh starts, both for the beautiful revamped Kings Theatre, and Passion Pit. Gone completely are all the fresh-faced members of the band’s original lineup. Only founder and brainchild Michael Angelakos remains. Joining him for the Kindred-era of Passion Pit are Giuliano Pizzulo (of Incan Abraham), Pete Carafella (of Supersystem and Shy Child), and Ray Suen and Chris Hartz (who both play in Childish Gambino’s band). This was a jarring discovery, as I had become so accustomed to the previous installment of Passion Pit whose members I also associated with the band, even if the group has always been Angelakos at the end of the day.
Interestingly enough, Kings Theatre removed the first few rows of the front section, allowing a general admission pit in front of the stage. You don’t see this too often at a theatre, but it made all the difference seeing fans energetically reacting to the band up close and personal. Angelakos is the sort of frontman who feeds off this energy, constantly running back and fourth across the stage, holding his microphone out to the crowd, relying on them just as much as we rely on him.
They came out swinging, opening the show with debut album favorite “Little Secrets,” getting a fantastic reaction from the crowd. Kindred lead-single “Lifted Up (1985)” followed, working much better live than the recorded form (which has grown on me since I first heard it). The night was a mostly even split between their three albums, with cuts like “Moth’s Wings” and “To Kingdom Come” from their debut still sounding fresh as ever. Although the new songs fell flat live, the new band did just fine bringing the material to life, fully out the large space modestly.
They found its stride towards the end of their set, with “Take A Walk” sounding mighty as ever, inspiring the entire theatre to sing along with power. It set the tone for the encore which featured the first ever live performance of “Cuddle Fuddle” from their now almost impossible to imagine debut EP Chunk Of Change, as well as the always expected grand finale of “Sleepyhead,” which still sounds as grand as ever.
The kid from the Kindred album cover and all the music videos was sitting in front of me, perched on his guardians shoulders enjoying the show and rocking out without a single care. It’s this sort of feeling that Passion Pit deliver so well, inspiring us in many ways, no matter our age.
Passion Pit Setlist:
1. Little Secrets
2. Lifted Up (1985)
3. Whole Life Story
4. Cry Like a Ghost
5. Mirrored Sea
6. Where the Sky Hangs
7. Make Light
8. Five Foot Ten (I)
9. Moth’s Wings
10. Looks Like Rain
11. To Kingdom Come
12. All I Want
13. I’ll Be Alright
14. Constant Conversations
15. The Reeling
16. Carried Away
17. Until We Can’t (Let’s Go)
18. Take a Walk
Encore:
19. Cuddle Fuddle
20. Sleepyhead
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