TV on the Radio | 10.10 | PA

Words & Images by: Jake Krolick

TV On The Radio :: 10.10.08 :: Electric Factory :: Philadelphia, PA

TV on the Radio :: 10.10 :: Philly

Many of you speak, listen and think about music as a religious experience. I myself am included in that group. Bands like TV On The Radio tap into something divine with their combination of contagious, pulsing song structures and an ethereal layering of sounds that can suck the breath from your lungs. Their music strikes me as a worldly concoction of The Cure and Joy Division, held together by a powerfully moving frontman. Perhaps it's Tunde Adebimpe's ability to coax us deep into the moment that truly produces these holy experiences. As he lets his arms ride invisible harmonies with punctuated flailing gestures, you can't help but lose yourself in the moment. Adebimpe acts as if he's possessed by some Appalachian snake-handling practitioner, catching the spirit in his movements and utilizing them to pull forth powerful songs. It's this knack to weave emotions with gestures that places Adebimpe alongside music's great storytellers, growling minstrels and true masters of the stage. My most memorable musical experiences aren't simply sound based, but come from seeing a physical display as a catalyst that sets off passion and emotion in a way shoegazing cannot.

The city of Philadelphia was a hot bed of energy, fueled by a fierce obsession for the city's ball team. As the Phillies hammered down a second win during Game Two of the National League Championship Series, TV On The Radio kicked off their Dear Science tour a mile from the game at the Electric Factory. These are exciting times in the band's career, having just released the critically acclaimed new album a month earlier. I wasn't the only one itching to hear how the fresh material might unfold live. They began by probing the water with a soaring version of "Wrong Way" off Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004). A driving tempo kept Kyp Malone's guitar and gray-speckled dew bouncing alongside Adebimpe. The elder track exemplified their churning percussion, which sat slightly under the surface of their sound and nipped at hipsters' heels like a pesky lapdog.

Adebimpe was full of sweeping, grandiose gestures and a lively temper as the musician rang his cry against the steel beams, shaking grime from the cobwebs. The dust falling was reflected in the lights as they moved haphazardly across the growing clan of hip youngsters covered in clingy jeans and spandex leggings. The hipster funk hung thick in the air as the first pair of fresh tracks, "Dancing Choose" and "Golden Age," surfaced. TVOTR was still dusting off their tour legs because these newborn trinkets sounded a little stiff. Even so, the mood was exhilarating, featuring Gerard Smith's clever organ chops and a sax-led moan coming from Stuart Bogie on loan from Antibalas. The two pounded through the wall of wonder that made up "Dancing Choose," never letting up until the song was finished. "Golden Age" dripped neo-soul as Adebimpe offered his own clever blend of Prince and Jay Kay (Jamiroquai). This golden age of science struck the crowd with an explosion of pent-up energy that shook shoulders and ruffled tail feathers. Smith strapped on his hip waders, pushed the BS aside, and forced the crowd to move to his bouncing bass.

TV on the Radio :: 10.10 :: Philly

A thoughtful setlist let TV On The Radio capitalize on the evening's upswing by placing a one-two punch of "Wolf Like Me" after "Golden Age." The crowd went bananas for the Return to Cookie Mountain favorite. Malone and Adebimpe owned this ditty from the start as they fed off of each other's stylistic adjustments. They both shook out a demon or two as their feral dance jolted the hip masses into a raised arm salute. Adebimpe swung his wild serpent arms as he released his badass mojo on all who watched. His liquefied movements worked magic as he waxed poetic during the softer moments before letting his chopping, aggressive limbs pull out lyrical pulses.

The balance of the band's deep and passionate side emerged during "Province," as Adebimpe shut his eyes to testify with a tilted head and hailstorm of cascading octaves. Once he entered the trancelike state, a shift in atmosphere grabbed at our breath while we teetered on the edge of control. The band focused in on the quiet moments with precision, dropping percussive touches instinctively into the open spaces. "Shout Me Out" was the best Dear Science offering of the show, rocking out a raw, spontaneous vibe. David Andrew Sitek and Malone took an aggressive path. Sitek hacked at his guitar while Malone bounded and jumped around the stage, snapping a string as he moved the tempo to match the crowd's urging screams. Energy bubbled to an outstanding level, letting loose one of the only freeform moments of the evening.

As the set moved on, the momentum from the stage and crowd began to wane. With only about 70-minutes under my belt it was shocking to not hear the crowd go berserk for more. After a short, uncomfortable bit of applause, the band reemerged for a generous four-song encore highlighted by a center cut of "Crying" and a splendid rhythm and vocal jam during "A Method."

In the middle of it all was Sitek, who at one point poured a whole bottle of water on the bass drum set-up in front of Jaleel Bunton. Sitek capped off his long champagne style pour with a whack fitting of any Gallagher mallet drop. He sent the "A Method" jam into oblivion with a kabuki style drum dance fueled with a fine piece of crowd participation. They finished by thanking Philly for having "more rhythm than Alabama."

The first stop on the tour was strong, but not filled with anything truly outstanding or out of the ordinary. When it comes to TV On The Radio, even the ordinary is pretty damn moving. There is so much potential in these new songs that I'm sure as the weeks continue the touches that bring alive older songs will work their way into these new offerings.