Parquet Courts with Goat Girl at the Phoenix Concert Theatre

American Rock band, Parquet Courts, took the stage at Phoenix Concert theatre in Toronto on Sunday, May 27^th. Their presence in the music scene took a larger one in 2016 following the release of their album, “Human Performance.” It was very successful and made many year end lists for top albums.

Their most recent release is their album, “Wide Awake,” which came out on May 18, 2018.

I think one of the most significant aspects about Parquet Courts is their diversity within their music. I say this not just referencing different album’s, but stylistically within each of their albums. They have the ability to provide stylistic variation throughout their album, but manage to still make it flow. My point being, this is a very exceptional component of their live show. To witness them switch up their style in a live setting and pull it off so smoothly is so much more than just impressive. It’s almost comparable to a Danny Brown set in the way that he changes his personas- same kind of shock factor. One minute you’re feeling major David Bowie vibes, and the next you find yourself head-banging.

Some highlights during their set included performances of “Dust,” “Borrowed Time,” “Normalization,” “NYC Obsession,” and “One Man No City.”

The best performance of the night was likely the performance of “Before the Water Gets Too High.” The song is very complex in sound, and all aspects were heard clearly. The song itself is probably arguably one of the best on their new album, so it was quite the performance. As sound at the Phoenix can also sometimes be hit or miss, it was sure a great time for it to be on point for this show.

“One Man No City” was a huge crowd pleaser, which was a great way to close out such a fantastic Alternative Rock show.

This was most definitely one of the best Alternative Rock shows I’ve seen due to the fact of their ability to pull off their complexity, and the fact that they try out new sounds, in such a tasteful way.