Seattle Remembers How to Have Fun with Holy Ghost! and Chromeo

It's been a great week for fun in Seattle. Wednesday's Hercules and Love Affair is the best time I've had at Neumos in ages and Thursday night's Holy Ghost!/Chromeo bill at the Showbox kept the good times rolling, with a crowd so raucous there was worry that the headliners' gear would topple over from the all the bouncing. Sure, the jackass quotient was high, but not even being crushed in a mob of folks unable to handle their booze and pills well could put a damper on my spirit.

I was in the minority and most excited about seeing openers Holy Ghost!. They've been around for years as DJs and remixers for the likes of MGMT, Cut Copy, Moby, and LCD Soundsystem, but they've only this year put out their first EP, Static on the Wire, in anticipation of their debut full-length due later this year. It gives them a larger spotlight than they would have if they were arriving as a totally new act.

As it was, you could tell they're still new to this. As DJs, Holy Ghost! have a Brooklyn swagger, fully aware that their "nu disco" selections are, as the kids would say, "the shit." Joined by a keyboardist and guitarist in their live edition, they don't have anywhere near the same presence, seemingly unsure of how best to position themselves onstage.

Part of that might have been due to the technical issues they were dealing with (gear getting unplugged, a finicky mic), but overall it was immediately apparent that this is largely uncharted territory for the crew, having only made their live debut in May. They played Static on the Wire, a few older tunes, and that was that.

I don't mean to sound overly critical here, as I (and others) danced and enjoyed their set thoroughly ("I Will Come Back" just kills every time I hear it), but at this point I'd rather see Holy Ghost! DJ than live. However, I'll be right up front next time as well--these guys have too much talent (and too many more seasoned friends to guide them) to think their live sets won't improve at a quick clip.

In contrast, Chromeo closed things out with swagger to spare. The tour veterans had the crowd in their hands from the moment they hit the stage. Things were already a bit on the sweaty side, but things got wild with the opening strains of "Tenderoni," with the crowd's bouncing causing everything on the stage to sway precariously. Things stayed just as hectic for the rest of the set, forcing my old bones back to the still-dancing 21+ area.

Only a few trickled away before they finished with their cover of The Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why." Chromeo was in fine form, as was Seattle, with Chromeo tweeting "Livest show of the whole tour so far. You win, Seattle." Nice work, everybody.