Words & Photos by Marco Denzer
After a two-year absence from the stage, Silversun Pickups put on a triumphant return to NYC last night at Terminal 5, and those in attendance loved every minute of it. Much to the delight of their loyal followers, the Los Angeles based quartet has teamed up with groove masters Minus The Bear to form an extremely well-balanced and complementary lineup.
Minus The Bear started their set gradually with “Give & Take” from the latest album Voids, and immediately followed it with “Knights” from the 2014 release, Planet of Ice. Firmly founded on its superb rhythm section and melodic fret tapping guitar work, the Seattle based quintet played a variety of songs from its extensive discography to deliver a captivating hour-long performance. By playing a song and leading straight into another, the band generated a musical flow that culminated in waves of reciprocal good vibes with the audience.
The crowd’s expectation and excitement were palpable prior to Silversun Pickups’ arrival and a clear sense that something good was about to happen filled the room. Sure they took a break for a while, but that didn’t matter now… the wait was almost over. Then, at approximately 9:00 PM, it all culminated in a welcoming burst of joy when the band walked on stage.
Before starting the show, frontman Brian Aubert paused briefly to greet the audience and express gratitude for the warm reception they received in NYC and happiness for being back in front of live audiences. They kicked things off with “Highlight” from the album Better Nature, and they followed it with a badass selection of titles chosen from the albums Neck Of The Woods, Swoon, Carnavas, and Pikul. They played a rocking sample of their repertoire that included favorites like “Panic Switch”, “The Royal We”, “Dots and Dashes”, “Out Of Breath” and many other gems.
In spite of Aubert having his right arm in a cast (the result of a stage fall and corrective surgery), and having recently recovered from the flu, the band sounded great and its members were in very good spirits. The exchange with the audience at Terminal 5 was lively – there was plenty of singing and dancing going on. Based on this, one can easily predict the performance at Brooklyn Steel this Friday night will be just as good or better than the one at T5. There will be plenty of good vibes, spirits, and rock ‘n’ roll to go around.
Silversun Pickups will continue with their tour through December 4th.
www.silversunpickups.com
TheWaster.com | NYC
11.18.17
