April 26, 2007 at 02:08:00 PM French electronic duo bathes a hipster crowd at the Masonic Auditorium in atmospheric downtempo.
SAN FRANCISCO--Atmospheric electronic downtempo is a difficult music to evaluate, particularly in a live setting. But for Air last night at the Masonic Auditorium here, the metric was quite clear: Was the music good enough to excuse two French guys in extremely tight white pants in a venue that, while classy, added an odd pretense to the proceedings?
Luckily, the answer was yes. Accompanied by a fantastic drummer and two multi-instrumentalists, the duo of Nicolas Godin and JB Dunckel bathed a crowd of cocktail-swilling hipsters in lush electronica that was loaded with sweet melodies. The half-circle theatre was awash in mood lighting and effects throughout, creating an ambiance to match the decorative sounds.
Norwegian songtress Kate Havnevik began the night with a set that was a cross between Bjork and Imogen Heap. Backed by a bassist and a multi-instrumentalist but leaving most of the heavy lifting to a laptop, Havnevik performed tracks from her debut album, Melankton. The music was experimental at times, and at her best, Havnevik approached Bjork's serenity and daring.
"Unlike Me," a song that featured Havnevik singing a cappella over a reverb-laden programmed a cappella, was the most interesting track of the set. The song was featured prominently last on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, which has used a whopping seven of her songs. On "New Day," Havnevik and company stretched what started as a bottom-heavy, plodding rhythm into a blippy electro-groove.
Air was in town in support of its latest album, Pocket Symphony, and most of its set was both symphonic and in-the-pocket. The new song "Once Upon a Time," with its playful chorus, "I'm a little boy, you're a little girl, once upon a time," was the most melodic song in a set that was drenched in synth-driven melodies. But the performance also relied heavily on tracks from Moon Safari, the duo's 1998 debut and best album to date.
"Sexy Boy" made an expected appearance, but it was "Talisman" that stood out the most, as the come-down vibe took on new life in the hands of drummer Earl Harvin, who pushed the pace throughout the night. There were few moments that pushed the excitement meter into the red, but it was cool to see the group ply its trademark sound in a live setting. This was wallpaper music, but hearing it live was like looking at wallpaper with a pair of 3D glasses.
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