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SPARTY SPRING PARTY - Phantom Planet - 4-21-07 by Nick Meador
This year, Sparty’s Spring Party took place on a beautiful spring evening, instead of a cold, cloudy one like usual. The sky was pure blue, housing only a crescent moon and a single jet streak. The trees were budding around a couple hundred young adults scattered around Demonstration Field, throwing footballs and frisbees. Free popcorn was scattered on the ground, and a random mix of music came from the stage speakers before the show began. As the sun started to set, the temperature dropped from the mid-70s to the forecasted lower-50s. It was the kind of day you want to spend lying on a blanket with your sweetheart, but instead I had my dog Wolfie, a 60-pound black-haired mutt-creature. Gran Bel Fisher took the stage at about 7 P.M. He switched between acoustic guitar and piano while singing, while a second person played lead acoustic guitar. Fisher lamented MSU’s dry campus, which brought to attention just how young and sober the audience actually was. Apparently he’s got a song on an upcoming episode of Grey’s Anatomy, and his studio album has a full band (not just acoustic). Fisher explained that one song was about coming home too drunk and stoned and getting in trouble with your girlfriend. The second opener was This World Fair, an alternative pop/rock group with a song on the Disturbia soundtrack. They had a melodic sound, partly because two members sang. Once it was completely dark, Phantom Planet arrived to play their set. All four members had on the band’s t-shirt or hoodie, but a little shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone. The band has changed its line-up a few times since they formed in 1994 in Los Angeles. Well-known actor Jason Schwartzman used to play drums, but left the band circa 2004. Today the band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals/guitar/keys), Sam Farrar (bass), Darren Robinson (guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). Greenwald announced fairly early that they would attempt to play a mix of songs from their existing catalog, as well as some from their upcoming album (they’ve been working on it for six months already). The slower, darker songs from their 2002 album The Guest, like “Turn Smile Shift Repeat” and “Wishing Well,” worked to counter their otherwise poppy style. Greenwald said “Wishing Well” is about the bad experience he has every time he goes to Las Vegas and loses. Some songs suffered from the lack of programming or other novel instruments included on the album versions. “Always On My Mind” is one example, where the band played faster to cover up for the missing elements. This matched the “London Version” of the song, released on the special edition in 2004. Towards the end of “Nobody’s Fault,” they broke into a Phantom of the Opera teaser, showing the real strength of Greenwald’s voice. The band didn’t seem to mind that the crowd wasn’t enormous. Of course, if the show had been in the Union Ballroom, it probably would have been packed to the doors, so it’s all relative. Greenwald had a good time talking between songs, either telling stories or responding to audience yells, creating a private hang-out session with the band. The sound quality was good in general, except the stage faced south from the Sparty statue; there was an occasional echo off of Jenison field house. Phantom Planet played for about an hour and finished with an encore of three songs. Unfortunately, my tape ran out before this point, so you’ll have to use your imagination for once. First they played a cover of “Once In a Lifetime” by the Talking Heads, which, despite missing the twinkling electronic sounds, was dead on thanks to Greenwald’s animated voice. Next came the primary singles from their last two albums: “Big Brat” and, of course, “California.” The group’s sound has changed a few times throughout their career, adding and removing pieces from the indie rock palette. The Guest had the distinct sound of southern California, while Phantom Planet brought in pieces of New York garage rock. The new songs seem to feature the same bass-heavy sound as the last album, but the band seems to be avoiding being lumped into trendy categories. The evening was definitely a success, even though RHA did minimal promotion and Phantom Planet’s website didn’t even list the show. The MSU police did swarm around Demonstration Field on foot and in their SUVs all night; they even pulled over a girl on a moped at one point. But since everyone was in a pretty tame condition, it didn’t matter. Although, an event like this makes one wonder when Michigan will have a real, nationally-recognized outdoor music festival to call its own. LINKS: http://www.myspace.com/phantomplanet
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