February 2nd, I was able to see Passion Pit at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona. This was my second time seeing the band as I saw them in 2012 in Oakland, California. Passion Pit's show was much different than the first time I saw them as they have more material and this was the band's own show versus a festival.
After the opening act, Courtship, Passion Pit rocked the stage. The audience waited hours to be at the front of the barricade and the venue was completely full!
Passion Pit opened up with "I'll Be Alright," and continued to perform 16 songs! The band played songs from three of their albums, not including their new album, Tremendous Sea of Love. Their new album came out on July 28, 2017. All profits from the album will be donated to a psychiatric research institution in Massachusetts.
Following "I'll Be Alright," the band performed fan favorite "Sleepyhead" from their first full-length album Manners. With every song performed, singer, Michael Angelakos was energetic and the ideal frontman for a live band! Angelakos jumped around the stage and interacted with the audience. You could tell by his performance that he was singing with passion and that performing live again really meant something to him.
Not only was Angelakos' stage presence phenomenal, but his vocals were untouchable! He especially sounded good in tracks like "The Reeling," "Carried Away," and "Lifted Up (1985)."
Angelakos' band definitely performs with the same passion as he sings with! Every song, the drummer jammed out and interacted with the audience. To go along with the infamous and well-performed tracks, the band incorporated an outstanding light show! The audience loved every minute of Passion Pit's performance and the energy was undeniable! The audience was dancing and singing throughout the whole show from the front of the barricade to the end of the venue!
Towards the end of the show, Michael Angelakos spoke to the audience as the crowd continued to give him and the band the longest cheer. Angelakos continued to thank the audience for their cheers and seemed to be getting sentimental over the crowd's reaction. He went to explain that the tour almost didn't happen and experiencing shows like this is what makes his job so amazing! The band then went on to play their final song, "Take A Walk." This is definitely their most iconic song and the audience loved it!
Once the show was over, the band carried Angelakos away and the drummer later went on to thank the remainder of the audience who waited for setlists!
I definitely recommend seeing Passion Pit live as they are even better live than on record! Not only is the band superb, but the members are extremely humble and are advocates for many platforms. Singer, Michael Angelakos has struggled with mental illness and he recently publically came out. With the openness and motivation to make change for mental illness in the music industry, Angelakos is not only an amazing showman but a great role model!
If you would like to see Angelakos speak about his mental illness and the change he is trying to make to help artists with mental illness, watch the video below:
