BROKEN BELLS SHOW RECAPThe Trocadero; Philadelphia, PA; March 8, 2014

THE VENUE:The Trocadero might be one of my favorite Philadelphia venues because of its convenient location in the heart of Chinatown and its authentic historical character. Built in 1870 as the Arch Street Opera House, it has since changed from a burlesque club, to an art house cinema and fine arts theater, to a dance club, and finally to its current state as a live music venue. The main floor has a capacity of 1,200 for general admission shows and the balcony, where the bar is located hosts smaller shows of mostly local bands with a capacity of 250. The balcony also has tiered seating overlooking the main floor.

THE CROWD:I arrived at The Trocadero during the opener’s set and I could barely move. Even though the show sold out so fast I was still surprised since I have never been there when it was so crowded. This show seemed like a promoter’s dream and I’d be interested in seeing the negotiation war for this one and how it ended up at The Troc since a lot of people felt like it was a weird match and a venue like Union Transfer would me more expected. Regardless, the entire place was packed on the main floor, upstairs seating, and bar area. Despite this, the audience was overwhelming polite. I have never been to a show where this word has ever come to mind to describe the crowd. It definitely swayed older and more “sophisticated” but I also think everyone was just gracious about sharing a room with James Mercer and Brian Burton.

It was older than expected and predominately male. Everyone looked either fresh out of college or middle aged, though there were some younger people as well. Everyone was very clean and they really enjoyed their personal space, even on the floor. So basically it was either college kids that know them through The Shins via Garden State, college kids that know them through Danger Mouse via Gorillaz, and rich old people who’s kids are away at college and think they’re progressive for reading Pitchfork and smoking weed in their Vermont vacation homes. Most of the younger people were upstairs at the bar, probably being “too cool” to be overly interested, despite the lack of adequate viewing areas from upstairs. I however, was not and spent the whole time on the floor dancing and singing like an idiot.

THE PERFORMANCE:Since music consumption methods have been adapting, the industry today is undoubtedly more singles driven. This makes it difficult for artists to maintain a loyal fan base that will consistently buy their full albums. I am incredibly selective about music, but my feelings about Broken Bells have never faltered and they remain in my coveted top 4 artists, while others don’t even come close. Most fans have probably been turned on to this duo via The Shins but I’m actually more of a Danger Mouse fan myself. There are very few auteur producers who can span so many genres. He constructs his music thoughtfully and delicately, like works of art. James Mercer’s vocals take it to another level and his contributions blend into a harmonious pairing. I’m particularly attracted to the existentialism behind this project that reads like a theatrical concept album in the way of Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi’s Rome. Because of this, I initially figured Broken Bells was a fleeting gift from the musical gods that I would never be able to experience in person. When I heard they would be releasing another album I was hopeful, but I can still barely believe I had the opportunity to see them on tour.

After what felt like an eternity, Brian Burton and James Mercer finally graced the spotlight to the intro of “A Perfect World.” It was indeed a perfect world that was projected behind them and on the ceiling throughout the performance. There futuristic branding has always been consistent and I expected nothing less from their live show. The ambience was even better than I imagined as they showered us with eclipses, galaxies, and transparent figures, even their own silhouettes that faded from song to song, granting each its own atmosphere. It was nice to see Brian Burton bouncing from to instrument to instrument, in and out of the foreground, mimicking his many roles in the recording process. The futuristic go-go presence of Au Revoir Simone coming out to sing backup during “Medicine” also added a nice touch.

Following each song, the audience erupted into an encore worthy applause, and often the clapping interrupted the performance. Even though it was clear everyone was attentive and honored to be there, they were still somewhat uptight in their demeanor and took some loosening up. It was hard to decipher which songs made them move the most since I was moving the most by a landslide for every song and singing every word. The major songs from their self-titled album, “The Ghost Inside,” “October,” and “The High Road,” expectedly landed well with the crowd. Many were also singing to “After the Disco” and “Holding on for Life” but particular highlights for me were “Leave it Alone” and “The Mall & Misery,” for their stunning build-ups and orchestral qualities. However, as far as the next single is concerned “The Changing Lights” is the obvious choice in my opinion, though my feelings for “The Remains of Rock & Roll” are growing exponentially over time. I think every song they ever made is better than anything in the Top 40 though, so who am I to say.

I believe the reason Broken Bells resonate with so many different kinds of people is because they aren’t constricted to one genre. The catchiness of their music hits with pop sentiments yet the strikingly beautiful compositions carry a lot more weight. Their songs sound unique while supporting a cohesive vision with lyrics broad enough to transcend walks of life to make an impact. Burton and Mercer come from different backgrounds and naturally many fans will carry over, but anyone who thinks Broken Bells is merely a side project is underestimating their talent and worth. I know there are specific reasons why After the Disco is not yet on Spotify, but it should be. Even though labels are hanging on to the importance of record sales I think a lot of people in my demographic are waiting to experience this kind of music through the exposure of streaming and it would be a shame to keep something like this in the closet.

POST SHOW PROMO:After the show I passed out extra posters and stickers to people leaving the venue. Everyone was really excited about the stickers and they kept talking about where they would put them.

MARKET SET UP

CAMPUS VISIBILITY: Drexel University- URBN Center- Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

INDEPENDENT RETAIL VISIBILITY: NOISE POLLUTION RECORDS REPO RECORDS

NOISE POLLUTION RECORDS

REPO RECORDS

LIFESTYLE ACCOUNT VISIBILITY: THE BEAN CAFE INFINITE BODY PIERCING GOLDEN EMPRESS GARDEN THE LAST DROP COFFEEHOUSE MILK & HONEY CAFÉ RETROSPECT VINTAGE

THE BEAN CAFÉ INFINITE BODY PIERCING

GOLDEN EMPRESS GARDEN

THE LAST DROP COFFEEHOUSE

MILK & HONEY CAFÉ RETROSPECT VINTAGE

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