Sometimes a touring band shows signs of exhaustion. Road-weariness and weeks of blurred hotel rooms crack their voices, weaken their guitar strings, and deplete their energy. Not the Temper Trap. Buoyed by a few dozen pulsing strobe lights in a rainbow of colors, the band dives into “London’s Burning” from their recently-released sophomore album. Their performance is tight and polished from the start, without a hint of sloppiness. Vocalist Dougy Mandagi really does sing that high, unassisted by Auto-Tune or other robotic trickery.
Hearing the opening notes of “Love Lost,” the crowd becomes an undulating mass, with hands high in the air clapping fervently to the beat. The rear of the stage is illuminated by daisy-shaped light fixtures that blast flashes of white at us as if trying to take x-rays.
The energy settles with “Miracle,” which has an entrancing quality to it. Audience members sway slowly, and the band members perform with their eyes closed, lost in the ever-present swirling stage lights. The Temper Trap take a less-is-more approach to stage presence, choosing to let their talents shine above all else. With minimal stage antics and hardly any movement from their respective stations, they don’t force the crowd into any one experience. It’s all about what each person absorbs. Song-to-song transitions are smooth, and interactions with the ticketholders are few. Their set ends in a big, high-energy instrumental break that lasts a good ten minutes, culminating in about a million watts of electricity. This is not a band for the photosensitive.
In the few pre-encore moments, clusters of Zippo lighters appear in the air. They’re held by teenagers no-doubt experiencing live music for the first time, and they complement the encore’s mellower material well. It’s a three-song conclusion, capped off by the band’s most popular song. As “Sweet Disposition” begins, the lighters are replaced by mobile phones recording every note. Rightly so – the delivery is earnest and strong. Though they must be tired of this song, it doesn’t show. The song is impeccable live, which seems challenging given its high pitch and complex melody. It’s a fine conclusion to the evening, ushering throngs of gleeful fans into the night.
