Neon Indian @ 9:30 Club - 10/7/16
Friday nights were meant for dancing. The work week was through, the weekend had just begun, and the 9:30 Club was open late so Classixx and Neon Indian could play great synth-pop/disco house tracks. Both bands have a bit of overlap with one another, so it made sense that both groups would embark on a tour and play a sold-out 9:30 Club.
The LA-based duo known as Classixx have made a name for themselves with their dancefloor-ready songs, recruiting singers like Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos, LCD Soundsystem’s Nancy Whang, How To Dress Well’s Tom Krell, and even T-Pain on tracks that predate the tropical house music movement, but embody many of the genre’s ideals - laid-back, fun songs that anyone can groove to. Unfortunately, none of the aforementioned singers were on hand to sing on their respective tracks - expected, but disappointing nonetheless.
Opener Harriet Brown filled in for a few of the songs, and though the songs didn’t carry the full impact that the original singers had, it was nice to have some live vocals. And thankfully, Holy Ghost! Singer Alex Frankel was on deck not only as an opener, but the featured vocalist on “I Feel Numb”. Classixx played live instruments throughout the set and, amusingly, featured a marimba player who strongly contributed in creating a fun atmosphere at the club.
Classixx opening up for Neon Indian at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC - 10/7/16 (photo by Mauricio Castro/@TheMauricio)
Neon Indian played 9:30 Club last year shortly after the release of his newest album, Vega INTL. Night School, but that was no reason to not come back again. Taking on the role of a frontman in a seedy 70s-era nightclub, project mastermind Alan Palomo performed under dimly lit neon lights and signs as he slithered back and forth across the stage. There isn’t quite anyone that dances on stage the way Palomo does. The low-fi sounds of Vega were faithfully recreated by the band, especially during the extended version of “Slumlord” that featured a disco floor-ready beat that had the entire club dancing. For longtime fans, “Polish Girl” provided a great sing-along during the chorus, and for Prince fans (a musician that Palomo channeled strongly in Vega) he performed a cover of “Pop Life”. Neon Indian channeled bygone musical eras with ease, taking source material from disco and new wave and making it all his own.
For Holy Ghost! fans, singer Alex Frankel played tracks from his debut solo EP that is sure to please fans of the highly-danceable electronic band. His music continued to walk down the dance spectrum with a full live band backing him up throughout. As disappointing as it was to not watch Frankel pull a Ben Folds and play material from his other musical project, it still got the crowd ready and dancing in advance of Classixx’s and Neon Indian’s performances.. His EP, Negative Space, is out now.
