A&E

Five thoughts on the Phoenix show at Cosmo

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French indie rockers Phoenix are touring in support of fifth album “Bankrupt!” and brought the show to Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard pool on October 8.
Photo: Erik Kabik

1. The indie rockers were touring in support of fifth album Bankrupt!, but the band played almost all of 2009’s acclaimed Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Instrumental interludes “Love Like a Sunset” Parts 1 and 2 were mixed with the instrumental title track from Bankrupt! to form a number the group has dubbed “Sunskrupt!”

2. The French four-piece was joined by two touring drummers and sounded impeccably rehearsed. The guitar and synth work were on point and the mix was so good, songs sounded like their album versions—or maybe better. “Girlfriend” included a killer guitar solo by Christian Mazzalai, and “Run Run Run” featured a jam segment between Mazzalai and fellow guitarist Laurent “Branco” Brancowitz.

3. The Tuesday-night crowd wasn’t very energetic; only megahit/set closer “1901” had concertgoers on their feet with hands in the air. Frontman Thomas Mars even had to coach the crowd through a sing-along chorus of “Lizstomania.” Good thing the set was heavy on Wolfgang, as the crowd seemed largely unfamiliar with more recent material.

4. Phoenix didn’t wait for a roar that warranted an encore. After just a few moments, the band re-emerged to play a stripped-down version of “Countdown.” Mars stepped down into the crowd and took a stroll.

5. Mars routinely interacted with the audience, thanking fans, hyping the crowd, reasserting the band’s French heritage. He even crowdsurfed, twice—during “Armistice” and again during the encore’s reprise of set opener “Entertainment.”

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