PHANTOGRAM AT WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL IN HOUSTON, TX
While not having released a full album since 2016’s “Three,” Phantogram announced a 3 week tour with Bob Moses kicking off most shows to both close out and start Summer and Fall 2019, respectively. What really hit home with me though was the fact that they donated a dollar from every ticket to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Having known or been associated with a number of people that have unfortunately followed that particular path, I personally thought it was great for a band in Phantogram’s position to use that platform to help raise more awareness and funds for the cause.
Phantogram’s tour recently rolled through Houston, TX at White Oak Music Hall, which is an interesting place, to say the least. Much like The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA it consists of 3 different sized venues. This particular show was in the middle sized one, but don’t let that sound like the room was small by any means. Well over 1,000 people packed in to dance, sweat and enjoy the driving indie pop sounds waiting to flood their ears.
Canadian dance duo Bob Moses started the show off happy to be back in Houston. If there were any doubt, they made sure to let the crowd know how much love they have for the city because of how much love the city had always shown them. I hadn’t ever really checked out their music before the show - odd since they’re on the Domino Recording Company, which is home to some of my favorite and inspiring artists over the years - but I found myself grooving to their set. The real surprise of the set for me was a cover of The Prodigy’s “Breathe.” Talk about something out of left field, compared to their opener “Heaven Only Knows” where the vocals are more reminiscent of Coldplay’s Chris Martin with a dance beat underneath that one would expect to hear in a dark goth club on a Friday night.
After much anticipation from the audience, the duo of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter walked onto a mostly blacked out stage, with only a small set of lights near the back, standing on either side looking at each other and began their set with a slow unreleased track called “News Today.” The band continued on through their set with songs spanning their discography, including newer singles “Into Happiness” and “Mister Impossible,” as well as a couple of my personal favorites “Black Out Days” and “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore,” with ever changing moods in both the stage lights and the large screen adorning the back of the stage, showing visually stunning designs interweaves with live footage of the band from cameras mounted at the front of the stage. Even through all the dance-pop laden hooks, all of the emotion of Phantogram’s lyrics transcends through to really make one feel everything that the duo are baring for our auditory consumption.
Nathan is an Austin, TX-based photographer, who once kind of, vaguely from 100 feet away if you squinted a little, resembled Rufio from Hook when he was younger, that thoroughly enjoys pro wrestling, anime, murder mystery shows and hanging out with everyone’s pets.