Thursday night, hot on the heels of a long and tiring day at work, Harlem Shakes and Passion Pit erased any speck of fatigue present in my body. Pairing these two bands is like chasing Red Bull with Rock Star. Specifically in that it leads to a great night, an adreneline haze, and uncontrollable dancing.
Harlem Shakes are a young band that have been turning heads in the blogosphere recently. When I say young band, I mean young band. Passion Pit looks like a group of old fogeys next to these kids. Zack pointed out that lead singer Lexy Benaim's neon wristband was basically the only indication that anyone in the band was of age. But despite their apparent youth (or, perhaps, because of it) Harlem Shakes know how to rock with reckless abandon.
The set opened with a percussion heavy rendition of "TFO", an oft-overlooked banger off of their debut LP Technicolor Health. The song saw three members of the band banging away on both the drum kit and a standalone snare, kicking things off with a literal bang. They never looked back.
"Nothing But Change Pt. II" came next, followed by another drumstrong tune, "Strictly Game". In a Passion Pit-esque lineup, Benaim's vocals often soar into open-throat falsetto, sacrificing vocal chords in the name of aural pleasure. It's a blast to listen to.
The rest of the set was great. Heavy on percussion and bass, accentuated with the deep bass of some saxophone, the music got the crowd dancing and singing along whether they knew the words or not. The setlist:
1. TFO
2. Nothing But Changes, Pt. II
3. Strictly Game
4. Carpetbaggers
5. Technicolor Health
6. Winter Water
7. Sunlight
8. Radio Orlando
9. Old Flames
Overall, Harlem Shakes fit the bill perfectly - their summery pop songs brightened up a drizzly evening and set the table perfectly for Passion Pit to rock the house. Keep your eyes on these kids - they have the chops to headline SOON.
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