Concert Review: POND Light Bowery Ballroom On Psychedelic Fire
One of the best shows I have ever been to…. not kidding. I fear doing this POND review because I can, basically, sum up my opinion into “Wow, that was good! Let me see them again!”. The band played at Bowery Ballroom in celebration of some classic hits, and their newest album The Weather. Yet, I have learned through Moon Duo and, now, POND, that visuals effects and psychedelic rock need to get married, officially.
Pond – Paint Me Silver
As the band played in a straight line, grabbing their instrumentals like sonic bayonets and jack-hammers, the crowd did not know if they were going to be built or destroyed by the music to follow: maybe, a bit of both. In an unusual move for typical concerts, lead singer Nick Allbrook sang from the corner laying out in full display something we all should known: in a band everybody is equal and as important to the music. Seeing them aligned together only furthered the specialness of their inside jokes and banter that, throughout the course of the night, became more prominent. It is clear that these Aussies like each other as people, and love the music they make together, even mouthing the words and dancing to tracks when they were not, necessarily, apart of the song. Moreover, being shuffled to the corner only magnified the star-power of Nick Allbrook. This man could be put in a black-box in a corner, and would still manage to steal the show. He never stops contorting and flipping around while playing his guitar or singing. He, literally, moves his mouth as if he is not just singing the lyrics, but chewing on them for the flavors they have to offer, and that type of constant motion only furthered the audience’s inability to keep still. By the end of the night, people were head-banging and doing air-guitars like, they were members of POND. When Allbrook jumped TWICE to crowd surf, you would have thought somebody tossed the Holy Grail into the audience. People grabbed and swished him around as if he was life-saving, and, in some ways, when your music is life-changing, it can save.
Pond – Sweep Me Off My Feet
Throughout the night, from “30000 Megatons” to “Sweep Me Of My Feet” I thought my mind had entered a neon-splashed, glitter-bombed, confetti-cannoned version of Game Of Thrones. Their psychedelic chords can build castles and clouds in your mind that invigorate you to move as if you have your own iron throne to conquer. In addition, having the spontaneous, visual displays behind them, only furthered that their music is meant to make you imagine, but not with purpose as much as submission. “Man It Feels Like Space Again” and “Elvis’ Flaming Star” ignited, particularly for me, the visual/ visionary part of their music. With Allbrook, “mick jaggering” or tussling across the stage with his classic rock voice, it was hard not to let your mind drift into a more imaginative, cooler realm. Yet, what most surprised me about the night, is that their newest, fantastic album played much more vibrantly in concert. If on record The Weather emanated the seriousness and socio-political commentary POND delved into in its creation, last night, it was just about having fun. “Paint Me Silver” and “The Weather” raved chords and synths that could make you happily drown in the ocean of life they surrounded you with; an odd image, I know! Yet, POND plays for the electricity of oddity, and I would see them again and again, especially if they bring along the fire that is their opening act: Kirin J Callinan. For More Information On POND Click Here.
Pond – 30000 Megatons
