Happiness is... The Polyphonic Spree! (1 Viewer)

[Jason_H]

Is anybody else into these guys (and girls!) at all? I had heard a few of their songs and thought they were pretty good, but yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing them live up close at the Austin City Limits festival in (duh) Austin, TX. For those of you who aren't familiar with them, the Dallas based group has 24 members, dresses all in white robes, and plays very upbeat, gorgeous music.

WHAT A SHOW! The energy projected from the band was AMAZING and had an obvious effect on the crowd. I became a big fan very quickly, and I'm thinking I'm not the only one...it was one of those shows that just makes your hair stand up on end. I know their star is on the way up (partially due to getting on the VW Beetle commercial), but I think they are going to go through the stratosphere. Sorry to be gushing, but I was just bowled over!

On another happy note, I managed to get about 15 of the 24 members to sign my album at the autograph tent after the show. All of the members were genuinely nice people.

I also enjoyed steller performances from the Dandy Warhols, Bright Eyes, The Shins, Beth Orton, and a wonderful finale set from R.E.M. Huge thumbs up to the ACL festival, I hope it continues!

 

[AndrewD]

Thanks, Jason_H, I'm sold!

They're playing here in Atlanta tomorrow night, and I wasn't sure if I was going to go. Now I am. I hope I have an equally good time.

 

[Jason_H]

Cool, good choice! Report back after the show, I would love to hear somebody else's perspective on them. I just found out where I recognized a few of the members from. The leader used to be the singer in the also Dallas-based band Tripping Daisy. After their guitarist OD'd and died in 1999, the remaining members basically started up this band and added about 21 people!

I only knew Tripping Daisy from a kind of crap minor hit they had in 1995 (I Got a Girl), which I also found out has basically been disowned by the band (pretty much that first album), I guess they were under major pressure from their record company at the time. Their second album, Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb, was apparently very critically acclaimed...I'm going to have to check it out.

 

[JonathanG]

The first Tripping Daisy album also has a great song called "Blown Away". Live, the Daisies were amazing.

shame the recent UK reissue of the Polphonic Spree album had a three song 'live performance' DVD, wish they would expand it and actually release it in the US

 

[BrianMB]

I saw when I was looking at the info for the Philly show on 9/28 that they have postponed the tour till December due to a family emergency. Is your show still on AndrewD?

 

[AndrewD]

Nope, it's postponed too. Reason given was a death in the family of one of the members. They didn't know when they'd be back. Crap.