The Naked And Famous w/ XYLØ, The Chain Gang of 1974
The Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
10.27.16

Exploding onto the indie music scene in 2010 with Passive Me, Aggressive You, their debut full-length, The Naked And Famous have been a consistent force on the road with passionate and sensory performances. On tour now in support of their latest release, Simple Forms, the quintet from New Zealand – now based in Los Angeles – stopped by Seattle’s Neptune Theatre for a dynamic night.   

Opening the show were synth-rockers The Chain Gang Of 1974. The project of musician and DJ, Kamtin Mohager, they brought a heavy brand of indietronica to the fans who were continuing to fill in to the venue. Mohager and his band brought a lot of energy and soul to a performance that sounded like Walk The Moon with a whole lot more edge (which I would attribute to the baritone in Mohager’s voice), especially their most notable song, “Sleepwalking.”

Electro-pop siblings Paige and Chase Duddy, of XYLØ were up next. The duo has been building on a fan-base through internet streaming of their debut single, “America.” This momentum has brought them to tour with acts such as Oh Wonder and helped them reach over one million views on YouTube. During their performance of the beat heavy “Bang Bang” and the very political “Fool’s Paradise,” the crowd was very engaged with the up and coming group. Paige had the charisma of a seasoned performer at the young age of 21, and the music was catchy. Be on the lookout for XYL0 making future splashes both electronically and on the road.

The lights went dark and the silhouettes of the members of TNAF appeared. When the spotlights shone on the stage, lead singer, Alisa Xayalith, appeared in a flowing red poncho with a smile on her face.  Immediately, the band went into “The Water Beneath You,” a story of being the soft place to fall for a person that you care about. They followed that with the familiar beats of their current single, “Higher,” that got the crowd excited.

Xayalith is one of the most engaging and powerful lead singers in the pop scene. Her appreciation is genuine and it showed with every “Thank you” she gave the crowd. In regards to her voice: when she hits one of her sweeping notes, it is a moment to behold. Led by guitarist Thom Powers, the band sounded wonderful and is a testament to the time and effort over the years in refining their sound. The highlight of the night came with “Hearts Like Ours” off 2013’s Rolling Waves. The stage was dynamically lit and the crowd shook the theater with their jumping and dancing. During the sing-a-long portion, Xayalith implored to the crowd “We’re in this together. Come on!” which emboldened the already excited crowd.

Rounding out the set were crowd favorites “Girls Like You” and “Young Blood,” an anthem for the millennial generation and a song that “gave them the opportunity to travel the world and meet all of you.” Three albums into a young career, it appears TNAF are truly hitting their stride and are at the forefront of a new generation of pop powerhouses.

Review and photos by Phillip Johnson

The Naked And Famous w/ XYLØ, The Chain Gang of 1974