Phoenix at MHOW (06/18/09)

Photo: Abbey Braden / PunkPhoto.com (more)

Tickets for the September 26, 2009 Phoenix/Passion Pit show at Summerstage go on Amex presale today (June 24) at 11AM. Buy Tickets!

Thursday’s show proved that Phoenix is more than ready for the exposure: though it lasted precisely an hour, not counting the encore, it felt a good deal shorter. Rampaging neatly through its set list, the band reinvigorated older songs: “Funky Squaredance” was rendered Daft Punkish with power chords, and “Too Young” became a more euphoric blast of disco.

The new tunes were relentless in their drive, careering from tightly woven verses to horizon-scanning choruses, with a lot of sharp details in between. Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai, the band’sguitarists, formed a twin engine of riff-based momentum, and the bassist Deck D’Arcy rolled along with them. [NYTimes.com]