Lydia @ The Barbary

Lydia
@ The Barbary
03/03/09
www.lydiamusic.com

The band seamlessly segued from tuning their instruments themselves into the opening number of their set as frontman Leighton Antelman made his way through the audience and onto the equally cramped stage of the Barbary; Lydia are not the typical act signed to Universal Motown. Although the group has been described in terms as disturbing as post-emo, the band’s sound is far more complex and intriguing. Their brand of melancholy power pop isn’t dissimilar to Kill Hannah at their least synthetic, Antelman embraces the delicate morbidity of Robert Smith, and keyboardist/backup vocalist Mindy White brings keys and vox akin to those found in symphonic metal – all of this through a Warped Tour aesthetic (if you can even call it that). Although their latest release, Illuminate, is a little too reminiscent of well-polished, pseudo alterna-pop to discuss with your more progressively hip peers, their live show is far more raw than one would expect. The band’s set was riddled with charmingly credible ailments like faltering drums and tumbling mic stands and Antelman proved to be a sassily paramount frontman with the coy, androgynous swagger of Brian Molko. Tightly-packed fans roared over the band during “This is Twice Now” and “I Woke Up Near the Sea” as if they were anthems of 1977. The only disappointing aspect of the performance is that it lacked catalogue highlights like (the unfortunately titled) “Now the One You Once Loved is Leaving,” that cement White as more than just the band’s novelty hipster eye candy. Izzy Cihak