Phoenix played their concert on June 4th in the fairly new venue Trouw, a former newspaper pressing facility, in Amsterdam. The original architect utilized a great deal of concrete and high ceilings, giving the building a very industrial feel. A definite pro for the venue is that it is fairly long but not very wide, this makes it feel intimate even when the place is packed with 600 people.
Initially it appeared the band drew a very high percentage of 'converse-and-checked-shirt people' but by the start of the show the crowd was made up out of a good mix of all kinds of individuals. The band opened with Listzomania one of the leading songs of their new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Although the album has only been out for a week now, the wave of recognition and enthusiasm that went through the crowd must have been extremely welcoming for Phoenix. Somewhat suspicious was the fact that most people seemed to know the lyrics perfectly well considering the short time the album has had to settle since its release...
The live performance that Phoenix gave away didn't leave much to wish for. Instruments and vocals were perfectly adjusted to each other and the only thing that really differed from the album versions of the songs was the extra Pow of energy the band sent hurling towards the audience. Chapeau for the boys for being able to sweep up the Dutch crowd, who are generally known for being extremely absorbent at concerts and shows. During the encore, where Phoenix played If I Ever Feel Better and 1901 the whole crowd was nodding along feverishly and even some hands were raised.
The band played nearly all the songs on their new album, interspersed with some of their older work. The vocal skills by frontman Thomas Mars during live performance were admirable. His signature voice seemed to get all the notes right effortlessly. Sound quality at the venue was superb. Lighting was interesting although sometimes a bit heavy on back-lighting. At least the people in the far back got to see the band members' silhouettes. Finding your way to the back of this venue to get some drinks was a bit of a hassle and definitely means losing your spot. But for most people it was about the music anyway.
All in all, great entertainment.
Frontman Thomas Mars
The new venue Trouw in Amsterdam
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