Atlas Genius rocked The Fillmore Silver Spring as headliners of the Live Nation “Ones to Watch” tour on Oct. 13. Playing every track off of their 2013 studio album “When It Was Now,” the Australian indie rock group offered attendees near perfect live performances of their songs.
Opening bands Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Family of the Year pumped the crowd up by epitomizing groups of people who truly enjoyed performing on stage. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. got the audience’s energy up and running to start the evening with their infectious, relentless dancing. Though Family of the Year had a more toned-down and folksy sound, the group of five charmed the Silver Spring crowd with their occasionally funky beats and a rendition of their popular track, “Hero.”
By the time Atlas Genius stepped onto the stage, the crowd was more than ready to rock out. The Aussies started their set off with the breezy and upbeat “On A Day.” Lead vocalist Keith Jeffery entertained the crowd as he danced across every inch of the wide open stage. Jeffery even approached the audience by standing at the bannister as he continued playing the electric guitar.
With a limited repertoire to perform, Atlas Genius relied on extended instrumentals to fill time. The longer intros and outros added interesting dimensions to their music, emphasizing the hard-beats behind all of their lyrics. Drawing out songs like “Through the Glass” brought a distinct rock element to their set, while songs such as “If So” allowed the band to play around with electronic sounds.
One technical issue that impacted the band’s performance was an imbalance of volume between Keith’s mic and the instruments played by the band. Although Michael Jeffery performed tremendously on the drums, Keith’s softer vocals were ultimately overpowered and obscured by the beat-driven music.
Atlas Genius ended their set on two high notes. The first part of their set concluded with their hit single “Trojans,” which was a high point in the crowd’s participation and energy. Atlas Genius finished their encore with “Electric,” the band’s most danceable and technically sound song.
With their captivating tunes, Atlas Genius ensured Silver Spring would remember the Australian group for a long time to come.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
