Review: Alt-J at The Fillmore
The Mercury Prize-winning British indie rock quartet Alt-J gave an enthralling performance to a packed crowd last night at the Fillmore.
Meandering effortlessly between bass-drenched electronic and sentimental alternative tracks, the young men from Leeds benefited tremendously from simple yet effective stage lighting and the venue’s boisterous sound system. Rustic light bulbs programmed to song transitions decorated the scene.
Spectators relished tender vocals from guitarist Joe Newman, while keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton occasionally addressed the audience, thanking them for their overwhelming support.
The band’s robust harmonies held true throughout their terse set, particularly during fan favorites “Breezeblocks” and “Matilda.” The evening’s most impressive track was an original cover of Kylie Minogue and Dr Dre dubbed “Slow Dre.”
Alt-J played most of the tracks from their debut record An Awesome Wave and unlike their previous live performance in San Francisco, including last year at Bottom of the Hill, the band appears much more comfortable and confident on the larger stage. They even played a few new tracks, to which listeners responded positively. The encore climaxed with an extended rendition of “Taro,” which reignited the crowd one last time.
The band finishes their first nationwide tour with a few more California stops, including Coachella, Sacramento and Santa Barbara.
