After Passion Pit left the stage last night, the chatter of contented music lovers filled the air and sweat-drenched audience members filtered back out the doors of Matthew Knight Arena.
Passion Pit followed two openers — Icona Pop and Matt & Kim — but Matt & Kim played with energy typical of a headliner. The crowd remained indifferent to Icona Pop’s small set of five songs until their final performance: “I Love It,” a song that blends synthetic beats with the lively and rebellious voices of the Swedish duo. Fists pumped almost enthusiastically as students began to bob along to the music.
The almost-too-sweet style of Matt & Kim’s music later took control of both the stage and the crowd with enthusiasm. Lead singer Matt Johnson excited the crowd with peppy vocals while Kim Schifino animatedly pounded her drums. Her face, filled with genuine joy, was projected to the audience whenever she wasn’t climbing on top of her instruments (or on top of audience members). Fans cheered as Johnson laughingly stated that “Eugene likes to get fuckin’ weird.”
The songs of Matt & Kim were accentuated with samples from other artists. “Overexposed” began with the loop from DJ Kool’s classic “Let Me Clear My Throat”and the duo covered Alice DeeJay’s “Better Off Alone.” Even the “Harlem Shake” snuck into the concert, right at the midpoint of the 10-song set.
Passion Pit leapt onto the momentum created by Matt & Kim to plow through 15 songs without pause. Frontman Michael Angelakos’ unique, high-pitched voice carried throughout the stadium, dragging the audience on a journey through his psyche.
Eight of the songs were extracted from Passion Pit’s latest album, “Gossamer,” an album criticized for the discrepancy between its dark lyrics and its upbeat melodies. The themes of self-loathing and alcohol abuse are covered in just the opening song, “I’ll Be Alright,” and the entire set presented a much more extensive picture of Angelakos’ mind. These messages, however, hid behind the synthetic sweetness of Passion Pit’s melodic style.
Angelakos strutted across the stage, singing his lyrics into a room filled with bass, drums, synth and an elaborate light show. As he screamed, “still I’m the only one who seems to care,” on “It’s Not My Fault I’m Happy,” colored spotlights shone on the sea of bodies that swayed to the rhythm of the rapid drumbeat while large and bright baubles floated above the band.
Thousands of bubbles fell upon the crowd as the band delivered “Take a Walk,” the third best song of 2012, according to Rolling Stone. They departed the stage with the performance of “Sleepyhead,” one of their most well-known songs, to a crowd that hungered for more.
The band members soon returned to the stage to appease the roar of the audience for one final song. “Little Secrets” rocked the crowd, ending the show with a rumble of voices so loud that Angelakos could only stand, watch and lift his microphone to his fans.