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Photos, Video: Atoms For Peace Bring Glitchy Rock To Barclays Center
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 28, 2013
Modified Sep 28, 2013
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 28, 2013
Modified Sep 28, 2013
Share
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Thom Yorke didn't talk much last night during Atom For Peace's sold-out show at Barclays Center—one of his only moments addressing the audience came at the start of the first encore, when he jokingly introduced both himself and bassist Flea as Justin Bieber. But on their first NYC stop since their 2009 shows at Roseland, the supergroup didn't need to bother with the chit-chat. Instead, Yorke and co. spent the evening pushing relentlessly physical, percussion-heavy glitch-rock tunes. And who had time to talk, when there was nary a moment over the 90 minute long show that Yorke and Flea weren't heaving their bodies to and fro across the stage, feeding off each other until they were almost dancing on top of one another.
Unlike those 2009 shows, when the band was formed specifically to bring Yorke's solo album The Eraser to life, the group is currently touring behind a legitimate dance-friendly band album, Amok. It's fascinating to think about the topsy-turvey process that brought these songs into being: the band shacked up for a few days in L.A. a few years ago to jam, then Yorke and longtime collaborator Niles Godrich assembled songs out of those bits, and now the band has learned to play the songs together. As a result, while many of the tunes come across as slightly distant and cold on record, they blossom in their current live form with full-bodied muscularity.
The songs are transformed live thanks most prominently to Flea's energy—besides providing some much appreciated head-nodding and thrashing, he essentially plays lead bass, kicking off songs like "Default," "Stuck Together Pieces" and "Harrowdown Hill" with insistent, circular bass riffs. There's little guitar to be found on the Amok tunes (though when it does come in, like the climax of "Dropped," it's pretty euphoric); instead, it's a mix of atmospheric synths, looped pianos, and bass. Cutting through everything is Yorke's voice, still as sharp as a straight razor. Hearing him hit those high notes in set highlights "Atoms For Peace" and "Harrowdown Hill" bring a pavlovian sense of joy.
So Atoms For Peace are Radiohead's younger brother who loves going to raves, but is a bit too cerebral for straight-forward dance music. No matter how many tank tops Yorke wears, no matter how long he grows his ponytail, and no matter how spastically he dances, he still seems to approach songwriting in an analytical way. Even if you're a bit underwhelmed by Atoms For Peace on record, their live shows are incredibly fun and fast paced. They're also freed from the burden of expectations (and back catalogue) that Radiohead face every time they tour—even if he isn't talking much, Yorke is clearly having fun.
Tagged
atoms for peace
barclays center
brooklyn
concert
Music
rock
thom yorke
original
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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