Sarah Barthel of Phantogram (Photo By: Summer Luu)
Phantogram fans stood in the Observatory North Park in anticipation after the Range finished his set.
I pushed through the crowd trying to get to the front of the stage and ended up pissing off lots of Phantogram fans. One lady wouldn’t let me advance. “I’m holding this spot for a friend,” she said. A couple muttered about me not so under their breath when I stepped in front of them, prompting me to turn around and ask if they had a problem. I then squeezed in front of another couple causing another uproar—the guy quietly complained to his girlfriend and wondered if he “should say something.”
All that anger I caused dissipated when Phantogram made their entrance onto the darkened stage.
Phantogram named themselves after an optical illusion where two-dimensional images look three-dimensional. Their light show for their opening numbers lived up to their namesake. Images of stars and geometric shapes were projected onto a mesh sheet suspended in front of the stage transporting the audience into a dreamy wonderland.
It’s hard to classify Phantogram’s music but band leaders Sarah Barthel (vocals/synth/bass) and Josh Carter (vocals/synth/guitar) create catchy music with influences from trip-hop, shoegaze, electronica and synthpop. The audience loved every single song they played from old classics like “When I’m Small” and “Mouthful of Diamonds” to new tracks “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” and “Answers.”
After a solid set list and a couple costume changes from Barthel (her Björk like neon headdress was fire) Phantogram came back for an encore. They played this hit that first got them major radio play, “Fall in Love,” and “Black Out Days” off of 2014’s Voices.
More delicious Phantogram hits are coming your way shortly—their new album Three drops this Friday.