Attending a show at a coffee house generally implies a quiet acoustic set with kids sitting around tables, consuming coffee drinks, and stuffing down sandwiches. Saturday night’s show was not the case: Redamtè’s furniture was cleared out wall-to-wall and jam-packed with show-goers. The first synths pulsated as I arrived promptly at 9 PM, signaling the start of Geographer’s set.
I hadn’t previously heard their stuff, but I would best describe it as a grab bag of Passion Pit and Washed Out, with vocals in the style of The Antlers. They got the crowd going early with their combination of synth-y bass beats and live drums. The band kept the energy up for the entire show, peaking when lead singer Michael Deni took a high-five-filled trip into the crowd on their second to last song. Geographer’s set was fun and tight, but a little oddly-paced and too pre-programmed for my tastes.
Freelance Whales took to the stage a swift 25 minutes after Geographer had left it. They opened with two new tracks to an appreciative crowd, but the room really lit up when they played their first old cut, “Generator ^ Second Floor).” Throughout the impressive 1.5-hour set the band played a healthy mix of new songs and fan favorites, including “Hannah,” “Location,” “Starring,” and “Generator ^ First Floor).” The mingling between the old and the new was more cohesive than I would have guessed, and airy layers of synths, great group harmonies, and finger picked banjos and guitars tied the tunes together. Freelance’s new songs, from their upcoming album Diluvia (out Tuesday), refreshingly explored a more quiet/loud dynamic than their previous offerings.
Freelance’s members also did a healthy amount of moving around the stage, as almost every member of the six-piece played at least two different instruments. It was exciting to see various members playing guitars, synths, bass guitars, banjos, and the glockenspiel. Mostly-bassist Doris Cellar even took lead vocal duties for a new song mid-set. Yet, the sixth — and in my opinion most important — man of the night was the trumpeter, who was key in giving each song its full, rounded out sound.
As expected, the set was full of endorphin-releasing, exultant moments. Seeing a show at Redamtè, having the bands start on time, and keeping a friendly crowd throughout the entirety of the night was a nice change of pace. Yet, Most importantly, Freelance Whales — a band who originally drew comparisons to many other acts — displayed that they have carved out a signature sound that is completely their own.