The stage dimmed and the intro to Tchaikovsky’s March Slave blared out of the amplifiers. I guess that was our cue to beat it. The faces of the audience were all lit with smiles having just seen Empire of the Sun, a show I would best describe as a rock concert put on by aliens from another planet.
The full line-up included Ace Cosgrove, Sofi Tukker, Pop ECT, Bishop Briggs, Christine and the Queens, Sylvan Esso, Passion Pit, and Empire of the Sun. It was an eclectic line-up, to say the least. It’s hard to specifically categorize this blend of music but that’s typical of DC-based event promoter All Things Go. They have a niche for promoting music that’s off the beaten trail. That’s what they’re known for and it helped turn All Things Go from a humble music blog to one of the DC area’s largest outdoor music festivals. On any given night you can find them promoting concerts at U St. Music Hall, The 9:30 Club, or The Fillmore in Silver Spring.
It had rained all day. The Yards Park was pretty much a massive mud pit. If you came with fresh kicks they didn’t stay fresh for long. The smart ones were prepared. It sucks because there were some good opening acts who probably didn’t play to as large a crowd as anticipated. One of them was the duo Sofi Tukker. I would describe Sofi Tukker as a band that plays live house. There are bright arpeggios highlighted by an infectious dance rhythm and synthesized basslines. The only differences would be not having a repetitive 4/4 beat and any assimilation to disco. They had a strange instrument that bassist Tucker Halpern referred as a book tree. It was some type of percussion instrument that was a circle of books on a stand. My favorite song was “Drinkee.” It’s sung in Portuguese. The title of the song matched the atmosphere of the festival.
Some other notable opening acts were Pop Ect and Sylvan Esso. Ace Cosgrove came out for a second performance before Passion Pit went on. They got the crowd energized and had everybody yelling F-Trump, F-Trump. I’m guessing there weren’t many Trump supporters at this event. I really enjoyed Sylvan Esso. The song “Radio” was phenomenal! Amelia Meath has a beautiful voice! I also like how they incorporate retro electronic sounds into their music.
Passion Pit was a ball of electronic energy. Singer Micheal Angelakos has a unique falsetto type singing voice. He can really hit those high notes. It blends with the synth elements the band likes to incorporate into their sound. Passion Pit isn’t a band per say, just Micheal Angelakos but he does have a full complement of musicians. This is great because it gives the performance a rock n roll feel. The song “Take A Walk” was one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences of the entire evening. It’s an incredible statement about just needing to take a walk sometimes to clear your mind.
I said Empire of the Sun was like a concert put on by aliens and I feel that’s the expression they were going for. A booming humming sound filled the air. It sounded like a space ship landing. Four dancers wearing glittery leotards and Luke Steele dawning one of his famous futuristic head-dress’s exploded on stage. They opened with “Lux” which is a symphonic instrumental composition. I think it’s awesome that they incorporate classical music elements into their sound. It shows compositional maturity and music knowledge. The second song they performed “Old Flavours” also incorporates those types of elements. Symphonic orchestrations are used in movie scores and Empire of the Sun’s whole image is loosely based on the style of a science fiction movie from the 80’s, kind of like the Australian duo Power Glove.
Throughout the concert, the dancers formed silhouettes in front of an HD screen showing images from outer space. My favorite costume they wore was the medieval plague doctor’s masks. Another great live performance was “We Are The People.” Luke Steele put on a strong vocal performance for that song. You could hear him using his sternum to push his voice. Their performance of “Walking On A Dream” was magical. This was always one of my favorite songs by them even before it was in a car commercial. It sets an awesome mood for any occasion. Seeing and hearing it performed was a joy. For an encore, they played “Alive.” It was a great way to end the show before taking a final bow.
This was a great show! All in all, the All Things Go Fall Classic was a little muddy but after seeing everything all come together it just added to the fun. Look forward to this unique music festival to continue to make waves for years.
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