[lastfm]Phoenix[/lastfm] headlined the Budweiser stage Saturday night to a sea of elated fans. This four piece from Versailles, France played an energetic set which focused on their last, Grammy-award winning album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Pop hooks, crunchy guitars, wonky synths and Thomas Mars’ cooing voice built into a sound that was perfect for filling a space like Grant Park at night.

[photogallerylink id=32000 align=left]The show was a piece of pop-rock precision, delivered with great showmanship. Phoenix performed with a sense of sincere excitement and warmth. Mars even paused to explain between songs that the last time the band toured through Chicago, they had played a venue the size of just the stage they were now playing on.

Phoenix were able to easily sustain the energy and quality of their performance all the night through with singles like “1901”, “Consolation Prizes” and “Lasso”. As a band on their fourth album, it’s easy to see that they have learned to use their stage show to enhance their performance for a large crowd. This included some cheekily constructed moments including the band freezing in place after a frenzy of cymbal crashes and strobe lights. A colorful light show accompanied their sunnier pop songs while occasional use of spot lights accompanied quiet moments and created a greater sense depth in the performance space.

The show ended with an extended version of “Lisztomania” which sent the energy of the crowd beyond anything it had reached during the performance. The band would pause, indicating an end to the song, then jump back into the chorus or bridge to the crowds delight. Phoenix has been able to achieve mass popularity and is obviously growing at a quick speed without sacrificing any of the interesting intricacies of their music. I would not be surprised to see them headline this or any other festival again.

Phoenix Concert Broadcast TONIGHT

Phoenix will be performing their latest album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix in its entirety TONIGHT at Midnight. Listen Live at 93.1FM or here on 93XRT.com!

Download “1901″