Concert Review: Chromatics at Emo’s Austin: Portland’s finest entertain rabid Texas fans for first tour in five years.
When one thinks of the Chromatics, atmospherics certainly come to mind. And the group’s set at Emo’s last Saturday lived up to that descriptor, from the neon drenched kiosk selling the band’s merch, to the retro light show and projections that backdropped the Portland group’s neo noir grooves.
Following openers Mirrors and Desire (the latter of which featured Chromatics chief sonic architect Johnny Jewel playing key musical foil over a slick set that included a slamming cover of Bizarre Love Triangle), Jewel re-emerged with his bandmates to perform the taut Ticking of the Clock, which perfectly encapsulated the anticipation of what fans came to witness.
There was only one tease of new material: Time Rider, a sugar rush, head nodding concoction that went down swimmingly with the crowd (and which may or may not make it onto the long-delayed album Dear Tommy).
This left much of the set to focus on the group’s critically acclaimed 2012 album Kill For Love, the title track of which literally, killed (sorry). with the band digging deep into the the title track’s Jesus and Mary Chain by way of New Order euphoria.
Other Kill highlights included the beatific Back From The Grave, the haunting These Streets Will Never Look The Same (featuring vocals from guitarist Adam Miller) the Neil Young cover Into The Black and the glittering instrumental Lady.
The band also pulled from earlier efforts, one standout being a thrilling rendition of Night Drive track I Want Your Love which achieved cinematic, hormonal grandeur with its heartbeat percussion and frontwoman Ruth Radelet’s sultry vocals.
The band returned for one encore, with Radelet performing a solo rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m on Fire, followed by the band’s Twin Peaks single Shadow, and last but not least, a stirring rendition of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill that brought the house down.
What the Chromatics made clear is that their synth-laden synthetic aesthetic has a very human heart, and the connection they hold with their audience makes fans enduringly patient…Dear Tommy is finally coming out this year right?
Setlist:
Tick of the Clock
Lady
Kill for Love
Night Drive
Back From the Grave
I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around
Time Rider
These Streets Will Never Look the Same
Blue Girl
I Want Your Love
Cherry
Into the Black
(Neil Young cover)
Encore:
I’m On Fire
(Bruce Springsteen cover)
Shadow
Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
(Kate Bush cover)