The last date of Chairlift’s Australian tour fell on a Wednesday, and if one was serious about beating the mid-week blues, there was no better place to be. An evening filled with the Brooklyn synth pop stars’ signature hypnotic vibes, with support from Confidence Man and The Harpoons, served as the perfect panacea.
Confidence Man brought the house down with raw retro power. They showered the audience with swathes of infectious vintage tunes, anchored by bouncy rhythms. As usual, the dual vocalists showed off plenty of excellently kooky dancing, complete with synchronised star jumps. The Harpoons, on the other hand, offered a set of down tempo grooves marked by lush harmonised vocal work, as well as chilled Lana Del Rey-style dance numbers.
Appearing on the stage amid a cloud of purple smoke, Chairlift promptly kicked off the main event with the subdued yet completely electrifying Look Up. The UFO-abduction synth lines of Sidewalk Safari followed. In addition to the vocal duties, vocalist Caroline Polachek also handled the keys, backed by live guitars and saxophone. Her flowing performance was met with transfixed smiles all around. She moved busily around the stage, poised and animated, her voice as light as a feather but tremendously powerful at the same time.
Chairlift is one of those bands that has remained largely uncorrupted by their recent mainstream success, and they continue to redefine ‘catchy’ with each release. Whether the audience is treated to the sprightly bass of classic hit Bruises or the cool R&B swagger of new song Ch-Ching, Chairlift’s indie roots are always present in the mix. This translates into a compelling live experience, and this magnetic show was no exception.
By Dimitri Zrazhevski
Highlight: Moth to the Flame.
Lowlight: Nada.
Crowd Favourite: Caroline Polachek’s falsettos.
