I’ve had the pleasure to see Phantogram twice already this year since they released their new album Voices back in February. Only eight months after their most recent show in Nashville, the band returned to Marathon Music Works once again on July 2nd.
The new album by the electro-psych-rock duo consisting of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter is just as brilliant as any of their previous work. Needless to say, they drew a large crowd to their Nashville show despite it falling on a Wednesday. Phantogram has added some new elements to their live shows since I last saw them at Counterpoint Music and Arts Festival in April. In addition to their typical black-and-white theme, lead singer Barthel changed her wardrobe in mid-set and came out on stage in a futuristic sparkly and reflective outfit, with yellow light-beams surrounding her like a star in the midnight sky.
As always, the show was incredibly intoxicating: the combination of Barthel’s sexy voice, the sweet bass lines and the band’s overall rock-n-roll air had even the most reserved guys bouncing up and down. To end their show, Phantogram gave an encore performance of their crowd-favorite song “Mouthful of Diamonds,” leaving the audience ecstatic and cheering – like the cherry on top of an already perfect show. I would encourage anyone to see Phantogram live if you ever get the chance to do so – even if it’s mid-week and you know you’re going to lose some precious sleep. You won’t regret it.
