Air

Greek Theater — September 21, 2007

Los Angeles is known worldwide for its year-round perfect weather, so it was only fitting that a rain storm should come to town the night of the Air show at the Greek Amphitheatre. You guessed it: it’s an open-air venue. But people were undaunted, as the appeal of the French retro-electro-pop duo pulled in a near-capacity crowd.

Having been witness to a number of electronic acts in the past, I was bracing myself for disappointed boredom: As anyone who’s been to a knob-twiddler show can attest to, most electronic acts make for mind-numbingly boring shows (Royksopp and Chemical Brothers, I’m looking at you guys).

But, to my delight and surprise, Air make for a very engaging show, thanks in great part to the backing band, namely the addition of a live drummer (the name of which I unfortunately was unable to get, but kudos to you, sir–your technique was electrifying and your stage presence compelling).

I was pleasantly surprised to see that of the five people on stage, only two of which comprise the French band, all were playing an instrument at any given time, be it bass, drums, keyboard or various other percussives.

As for the set list, they stuck to the tried and true hits from their smattering of albums, with a notable emphasis given to their first album, of which they played nearly half of. The live drummer gave a much funkier, more visceral feel to the music (not to mention a much higher tempo in most cases), which was a welcome experience for a live show.

The highlight of the evening was no doubt the extended version of “La Femme D’Argent,” which was played as an encore. At nearly seven minutes, full of high-energy drumming and lush, layered synths, the song built into an electrifying crescendo that left me longing for more–much more.

Overall, the show was a solid performance, leaving me wishing for another hour. I highly recommend you take the time to catch them if and when they swing through your town.