alt-J: Square Pegs In A Triangle

alt-J
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
10.15.14

People showed up in droves to watch English indie rock band alt-J perform at the Paramount on Wednesday, jostling their way through ticket lines, merch lines, and beer lines in the crowded theatre hallways. Ladies wrestled over the anxiety of which shirt to choose. Men wrestled over the anxiety of which beer to choose (for their ladies). Hey, these are important decisions. Alt-J has been hard at work carving marks with their sophomore album, This Is All Yours, which has dominated the UK charts and is receiving solid attention in the States. While things have certainly been worse for the group, scraping by as unemployed graduates, life has absolutely never been better. Their unique sound, formed in a dormitory hallway devoid of bass, makes sense now. And, even amid endless possibilities, they’ve continued to keep it real with a creativity born of limitation.

Akin to the feeling of an emergency evacuation, alt-J opened their set with a loud, repetitive bleeping sound and flashing red lights. I took the chance that this was their set starting and ignored the fact that the building may be on fire. 8:45 sharp and they opened with “Hunger of the Pine.” Mellow was the mood as the stage filled with fog. The lights were nearing immaculate, coordinated to the set list in swapping red, blue, and gold. Singer Joe Newman’s distinct vocals were spot-on. The group seemed to hold an affinity for the Emerald City, with keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton gushing, “The first time we played here was about two years ago. Thank you for having us, it’s just been a spectacular time, we really love it here…It’s always a pleasure to play for you guys. Hopefully we’ll be back again soon, it’s been way too long.” The crowd stayed genial, enjoying the unique atmosphere afforded by a singularly unique band.

alt-J Set List:
Hunger of the Pine
Fitzpleasure
Something Good
Left Hand Free
Dissolve Me
Matilda
Bloodflood
Bloodflood Pt. 2
(interlude)
Tessellate
Every Other Freckle
Taro
Warm Foothills
The Gospel of John Hurt
Encore:
Lovely Day
Nara
Breezeblocks