Aussie band plays with fun, friendly energy
By Michael Houston
On stage, Australian band Architecture in Helsinki is no different than a group of friends playing any instrument they can, while dancing the entire time.
They swap keyboards, microphones and laughs as all six members of the band make their rounds on the stage.
Architecture plays catchy dance music that had most of the crowd up and jumping through the performance Tuesday night at the Wonder Ballroom. Concert-goers also knew the band's upbeat lyrics.
Even though the band is from a different hemisphere, it makes it up to Portland; AIH played a show over summer as well.
The best songwriting occurs when each member of the band plays his or her own melody. During song openings, all the bandmates played their own lines that weaved together with the others.
And the number and variety of instruments was astounding.
Synthesizers, keyboards and bongo drums crowded the stage next to a bass guitar and trap drum set. At times, the number of instruments and performers was overwhelming.
Six people, three singing, playing even more instruments in the unison with which most songs often fell into, got repetitive.
There was no need for four of the five to play the same chord progression on different instruments for half the song.
And while we're talking about flaws, there was another in the show (besides the drummer losing his drum stick three beats into the first song): the second opening band.
Glass Case's performance could be summed up this way: guy and girl play music, guy dances behind synthesizer with tear drop stickers under his eye, girl sings and gets down to dance in the unresponsive crowd.
Although the duo had a lot of energy and tried to get the crowd engaged, its music was boring and unoriginal. Most songs were repetitive and often consisted of little more than some synthesizer playing while the pair danced around.
But, in the end, Architecture brought the crowd around and performed well.
The band has released four albums; the most recent is called "Places Like This," released off Polyvinyl Records Co. (who also releases records from great bands such as 31 Knots and Mates of States).
