Atlas Genius w/ Skylar Grey and Secret Weapons
Showbox, Seattle, WA
04.01.16

It’s night two of Aussie duo Atlas Genius’s North American tour and while not sold out, Seattle’s Showbox is full of energy on a sunny Friday night. The night kicks off with Brooklyn’s Secret Weapons. Tonight they’re a foursome, but this young indie pop pair hit some high notes with their party-ready dance pop. Reminiscent of 80s and 90s hits, with fuzzed out electronic beats and overwhelming vocal energy, Secret Weapons was a perfect choice to open for Atlas Genius, pumping up the crowd in preparation for a dance party.

Skylar Grey on the other hand – the tour’s official support act – felt like an odd pairing. Best known for her collaborations with hip hop artists, Grey’s solo material is another matter altogether. From the start, the energy in the venue takes a deep dive, as she grounds the room in atmospheric, echoing instrumentation, backed by a three-person band. Her vocal prowess is apparent, despite what might have been some tech difficulties, and she did show off some interesting lyrical moves that covered the gamut from rapping to Enya-like wails. Her eclectic energy and introspective nature were interesting, but perhaps not a perfect match for the night.

Thankfully the night’s headliner Atlas Genius came to party. Playing as a four-piece for the tour, the Australian brothers Keith (vocals/guitar) and Michael (drums) Jeffery craft epic pop rock that makes people move. Right off the bat the energy in the room is high, as brightly-colored strobes and LED lights spin all over the stage. Opening their set with the anthemic “Stockholm” from their 2015 sophomore release Inanimate Objects, they had the crowd with arms in the air, singing along immediately.

The set list leaned on the new album, but also featured a handful of hits from their debut When It Was Now, starting with the hopeful and buoyant “If So,” before which Keith proclaimed “this song’s for dancing,” and even in the bar, people are bounding around to its upbeat, summery vibe. The crowd has definitely filled in, and the floor is full but not so packed people can’t move, and Keith makes a lot of trips into the barricaded front of the crowd to play directly to the crowd. “It’s been two and a half years since we’ve been here,” he says, “and we’ve missed you very very much. This is a song from our new album, a deep cut. It’s called ‘Where I Belong’.” And with that AG brings the tempo down and the raw emotive power up.

From there, they break out Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” for some throwback magic before breaking out “Back Seat” and its dirty guitar and funky bass line. “Everybody crouch down as low as you possibly can,” says Keith, “and when I count to four, jump as high as you can possibly jump.” They do, and go raging into the air. Closing out the track, Keith comments, “stay hydrated, responsible dancing.” For “Refugees” he takes his jacket off and gets a little hip shake going, and there are plenty of hoots and hollers over the music. “Symptoms” is just as dynamic and sweeping as it is on the album, it’s quick beat and breathy vocals stretching out over the room.

The guys close the set with a run of tracks that bleed into one another, including a pretty fantastic cover of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and finally closing with “Molecules” which amounts to a title track for Inanimate Objects. Keith finishes out with another trip into the crowd to sing, sparking more dancing, jumping, singing along, in the kind of epic fashion that reflects much larger bands, but is accurately earned by these fun Aussie crooners. Not to leave any stone unturned, their encore consists of a ridiculously good cover of The Weeknd’s “The Hills” before blowing it all away with their jangly first hit “Trojans” after which Keith ends, holding hands with the crowd, earning every bit of their admiration.

Catch the Atlas Genius tour at a city near you.

Atlas Genius Set List
Stockholm
The City We Grow
If So
Where I Belong
Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears For Fears cover)
Back Seat
Refugees
Symptoms
Balladino
A Perfect End
Centered On You/Hotline Bling (Drake cover)/Stone/Molecules
Encore
The Hills (The Weeknd Cover)
Trojans

Review by Stephanie Dore
Photos by Sunny Martini

Atlas Genius
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040116_02_skylargrey_showbox_sunnymartini_004Secret Weapons
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