Pool of Chemicals

Summer may seem to be slipping away, but Saturdaywas another night of great fun over at McCarren Park Pool, as Made Event presented an eclectic pairing of Chemical Brothers with Ladytron. Opening the show, the members of Ladytron came on stage, all dressed in androgynous, black chic. While their electronic pop tunes were pleasantly infectious, the sound could’ve been louder and the mellow presence of the band seemed swallowed by the pool; Ladytron’s vibe seems more appropriate for a smaller, intimate venue setting. Nevertheless, towards the end, starting with “amTV,” the band finally hit its stride and started rocking out, more kinetic in movement and finished up with the hit “Destroy Everything You Touch.”

On the other hand, as soon as the Chemical Brothers hit the stage, the volume shot up several decibels and the crowd immediately started having seizures. Starting off the set with “Galvanized,” the two electronic wizards kept the momentum strong, mostly playing selections from more recent years, including their new album, We Are The Night. Little of their Big Beat sound was heard; their newer sets are a more progressive, smoother, less choppy style of electronica (fantastic, nonetheless). In a day and age where many bands show video visuals, most of them mediocre and some just plain bad, the Chemical Brothers’ video presentations were amazing: relevent, vivid and well-synchronized with the music. The clown and eyeball imagery (pictured) were a little creepy, but other scenes, such as an unexpected giant splash of bright paint colors or frantic, spinning camera shots of the woods wowed viewers’ eye sockets. Tom Rowlands played off the crowd’s energy when he pulled one of his keyboards off his mixing station, positioned it vertically and rammed his fingers against the keys as if he were ripping out some manic guitar chords. During their encore, the Big Beat finally reared its head as old classics such as “Block Rockin’ Beats,” rounded off their excellent set.

Photo by Peter Phillips