PHOTOS / REVIEW: The Polyphonic Spree at House of Blues – 2/13/12

After a few years off the road, choral psymphonic rock band The Polyphonic Spree returned this month for a quick tour of the Southland and brightened up an otherwise damp Monday night in the French Quarter with their euphoric, leave-it-all-on-the-stage enthusiasm, giving the devout fans on the floor the type of performance one would expect more from a farewell tour that went on longer then the band or crowd expected. Draped out in matching white robes with red hearts in the middle, the group got right to work after a strangely intoxicating and discordant display of psychedelia by opening act Small Fumes, who projected some cool visuals on a tapestry before weirding out the room with an image of elephant coitus during his final song.

Perhaps it was the fact that the robed collective hadn’t played in the Big Easy in ages, but Front man Tim DeLaughter’s emphatic love fest energized the room and the nearly two-hour set ran the gamut through Polyphonic Spree’s catalog, creating more of a happening or 60s-style love-in than your standard Monday night affair during exuberant tracks from Together We’re Heavy and a new tune “What Would You Do?”. A few darker tracks from The Fragile Army toned down the vibrant scene midway through the set, creating a cool contrast to the early going of the show. During “Soldier Girl” DeLaughter jumped into the crowd, allowing other audience members to sing along at arms-length and thus beginning his lesson in Crowd Engagement 101 that would persist throughout the rest of the show. During the set, the 16-piece band ran through covers of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard”, Thunderclap Newman’s “Something In The Air” and Nirvana’s “Lithium“, excellent cover choices that exploded the energy in the room. The band’s encore ended up being nearly as long as the show itself, indicative of a band and it’s loyal fan base having trouble removing themselves from the palpable energy created by the performance.

The Polyphonic Spree @ House of Blues New Orleans - 2/13/12 || Photo © Wesley Hodges

For what otherwise should’ve been a quiet, weary Monday night after a big weekend of Mardi Gras parades, turned into a well-spent night on the floor watching some of the most uplifting and spiritual pop music imaginable. The sustained, otherworldy joy and effervescence of Polyphonic Spree was infectious and before taking the stage for their final bow, the 16 members of Polyphonic Spree made sure to personally thank as many fans in the crowd for coming out with a victory high-five lap around the floor of the House of Blues. All in all, the show felt good, now I’m ready for Mardi Gras.