Passion Pit continues to conquer in Chicago

April 22, 2010, at the Congress Theater

By Lily Hansen
Published: April 27th, 2010 | 1:45pm

Whether you love them or loathe them, Massachusetts-based electronic sensation Passion Pit (whose name may prompt some to wonder, “Hey, isn’t that where the kids from 90210 hung out?”) is geared to dominate the music circuit again this year. Point in case: an opening slot on Muse’s upcoming tour and their 2009 release Manners (Frenchkiss) which continues to gain critical acclaim and mainstream success (plus, soundtrack love from television smash hits Gossip Girl and Big Love never hurts). Yes, the barely legal, East coast–educated musicians continue to tap into their seemingly endless ability to churn out the most danceable and party-ready tunes that have graced the American pop charts in a long while.

Passion Pit opened their set by thanking attendees for “making us feel so welcome in your city,” alluding to their not surprising ability to sell out the sizeable Congress Theater twice in one month. Singer Michael Angelakos then kick started the night with his high-pitched, Chipmunks’ worthy vocals on “Make Light,” as he bounced around energetically and appeared no more mature than his own worshipping, crowd-surfing fans below the stage.

Immediately the singer acknowledged that he was suffering from a serious sinus infection, which foreshadowed a shorter-than-average set, but managed to quickly hit all of the bases with singles such as “Moth’s Wings” and “Little Secrets” (sans children’s choir). As he fed off the electric energy of 4,000 rowdy, sweaty fans, Angelakos remained a trooper and went from lackluster liveliness to seeming as though he wanted to be moshing amongst his peers.

As the evening came to a close, the deafening chants of the crowd preempted the band’s eminent superstar status but prompted a slightly disappointing, one-song encore, which featured the song “Sleepyhead,” perhaps Passion Pit’s most popular and respected single to date. Afterwards the band promptly left the stage and a hungry, hyped-up crowd remained in disbelief that the barely one-hour show was truly over. Passion Pit may not have delivered their most legendary show to date on this night in Chicago, but what they lacked in duration they made up for in a tighter-than-spandex live performance. And it is exactly those spandex-wearing kids who keep letting their “love grow taller and taller” and will inevitably follow Passion Pit on their journey to the pinnacle of this year’s music peaks.

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