Live Photos By: David Strauss
Review: Neon Trees at the Aragon Ballroom
April 16th, 2010
By: Tanya "Southside" Vega
...Chicago, I'm taking you to church - the Church of Neon Trees...
Ready or not, tonight's adventure blasted SouthSide off to the historic Aragon Ballroom for the sold-out Thirty Seconds To Mars' Into The Wild Tour (wild doesn't begin to describe this concert). The tour also featured MuteMath (from New Orleans) with Neon Trees opening the lineup of this all-ages show. If you're ever lucky enough to attend a concert at the Aragon, this reviewer highly suggests doing one thing before staking a claim near the stage. She wants you to admire the original decorative features inside this venue. From the marbled grand staircase to balcony viewing areas and an elevator built in 1926 that's still in use, this place is one of the many examples of Chicago theatre history. Also don't forget to gaze at the ceiling above you. Yes, the detailed artwork does depict our galaxy with twinkling stars and planets - simply breathtaking.
SouthSide's wild and out of this world rock experience began with Neon Trees' energetic techno/pop performance. Don't be fooled by this band erroneously labeling itself alternative (as seen on its Myspace page) since it was more than that. Most of Neon's core rock sound fell under retro with a slight modern twist which made it so enjoyable for SouthSide. She absolutely adored Tyler (the animated front man on vocals/keyboards) and his charismatic antics on stage. Watch out, ladies, he's on a combustible fireball of sexual energy - lots and lots of sexual energy. Even while pelvic thrusting on his back, he kept this crowd in a constant, frantic frenzy throughout the set, especially during the steamy "zoot suit" sounding song. SouthSide suggests listening to Neon Tree's "Animals" (her favorite song) and "Calling My Name". Though ending with a rockin' bang, this reviewer was totally in the mood for more. She highly recommends checking out this hot, sexually charged rock band wherever they're performing next (see their dates listed below). Guaranteed fun and excitement, readers.
NEON TREES 2010 TOUR DATES
4/21/2010 - ROSELAND BALLROOM - NEW YORK, NY
4/22/2010 - WELLMONT THEATRE - MONTCLAIR, NJ
4/24/2010 - THE ELECTRIC FACTORY - PHILADELPHIA, PA
4/25/2010 - UPTOWN AMPHITHEATRE - CHARLOTTE, NC
4/27/2010 - FILLMORE - MIAMI BEACH, FL
4/28/2010 - HOUSE OF BLUES - LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL
4/29/2010 - THE TABERNACLE - ATLANTA, GA
5/4/2010 - THE PAGEANT - ST LOUIS, MO
5/6/2010 - SOKOL AUDITORIUM - OMAHA, NE
5/7/2010 - FILMORE - DENVER, CO
5/8/2010 - THE RAIL EVENT CENTER - SALT LAKE CITY, UT
5/10/2010 - THE SHOWBOX - SEATTLE, WA
5/11/2010 - ROSELAND THEATER - PORTLAND, OR
5/13/2010 - FOX THEATER - OAKLAND, CA
5/14/2010 - SANTA BARBARA BOWL - SANTA BARBARA, CA
5/15/2010 - GREEK THEATRE - LOS ANGELES, CA
5/16/2010 - THE MARQUEE - TEMPE, AZ
Neon Trees Biography
Tyler Glenn: lead vocals/keyboards
Chris Allen: guitars
Branden Campbell: bass
Elaine Bradley: drums/vocals
“I wanna shake up your system/I wanna rattle your bones/I wanna take you to the stars/And then I’ll leave you alone.” “Farther Down”
Like their name, Neon Trees are a combination of slick pop hooks and sturdy organic rock, both melodic and hard-hitting, their anthems of adolescent angst, longing, love lost and found, delivered with the kind of heart-on-the-sleeve passion that only comes from hard work and commitment.
Their Mercury Records debut, Habits, produced by friend, singer/guitarist Tim Pagnotta, is a refreshing blast of timeless rock energy and spirit that wouldn’t sound out of place at any point from ‘60s garage-rock to 2010 dance rock, with the first single, “Animal,” taking off from a round of weaving, angular guitars into a song equally at home in the arena as on the dance floor, a paean to sexual longing in which singer/front man Tyler Glenn wails, “Take a bite of my heart tonight.,” and you have no reason to doubt his sincerity.
Take hook-happy new wave, add to it the classic-rock story-telling humanity and leaven with other-worldly charisma and you begin to understand the palette Neon Trees are working from.
“I have this weird, obsessive nature of wanting to be a superhero,” admits Glenn, who cites his two favorite performers as the Boss and the King of Pop. “I just want to help my friends and the people I love by saving them, only to realize they’re really saving me by listening to the music. The songs are all about forgiveness, love and passion, which basically sums up the whole vibe of what we’re about as a band, professionally and spiritually.”
In the opening “Sins of my Youth,” Tyler reminisces about a childhood of trial, error and eventual self-discovery. “I’ve got these habits I cannot break… Call me crazy/I was born to make a mess.” “Your Surrender” takes Roy Orbison’s romantic plaint and sets it up against Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, while “Girls and Boys in School” speaks for itself, with a playground chant over a dark yet sing-along synth-pop chorus. Chris Allen has a quirky, edgy Johnny Marrr-meets-The Edge guitar playing while drummer Elaine Bradley drums with the intensity of John Bonham adding a heartbeat to the sensuality of the songs.
“We’re all about songs which relate the human experience,” says Las Vegas native, bassist Branden Campbell. “The emotion is very important to us. Our logo is a human heart with wings. We try to keep it real, but we’re not afraid to dream, either, work hard and admit we want success.”
“We approach the songs from a classic perspective,” adds guitarist Chris Allen, who formed the initial group in Southern California with neighbor Tyler, who lived around the corner. “Even from the start, it was all about the music for us. We didn’t even talk, just practice.”
“I’ve always tried to keep my feet on the ground with my songwriting,” adds Tyler, a self-taught musician who began composing when he was six. “I try to focus on getting out what I’m thinking and feeling. It’s a tool to help me cope with all the weird things that come into my mind. I’m just happy to have found that outlet.”
When Allen moved to Provo, UT, to attend school, Glenn followed him, knowing he wanted to play music with Allen.
“That was a real awkward trip,” laughs Chris. “We drove all the way out there and hardly said a word to each other. All we knew was we wanted to play music together.”
Once there, they were soon joined by Campbell on bass and drummer Bradley, a Midwestern Led Zeppelin/Depeche Mode fan, a combination that clicked despite the fact the individual members eventually discovered they were all very different people.
“We are all so fascinatingly different,” explains Bradley, who has been playing in bands since she was 14, first as a guitarist then as a drummer. “Tyler’s the quirky serious type who is really a goofball. Branden’s the musical history encyclopedia. Chris is the manual labor. Being in this band is like an arranged marriage where divorce is not an option, and I’m ok with that.”
Being signed to a major label hasn’t changed Neon Trees one bit.
“Our goal and how we play are still the same,” insists Tyler. “We’ve always tried to evoke a larger-than-life feel, even if we’re playing to 10 people in a garage. We’re just trying to keep our feet on the ground and remember why we started doing this in the first place.”
“Music is a sacred act of communion for me, offering hope and love,” says Tyler. “That’s the heart of this band. Just like in life, though, you need to have fun, too, you have to laugh and dance and sing. The songs that last and get people to feel something are the ones they can sing along to and really identify with.” “There’s so much breath to what we do,” adds Elaine. “Every song represents a different aspect of our sound. We don’t stick to a single formula. And we have the goods to back it up live.”
“Our favorite thing is playing live shows, traveling, seeing new places, meeting new people,” adds Chris. “We just want to share that feeling we got from the bands that inspired us, and then We want to pass the torch.”
With their major label debut, Habits, Neon Trees light the fire.
Neon Trees Offical Site | Neon Trees Myspace | Neon Trees Facebook