subject: Phoenix Tickets - On Their Way To Mainstream Chart Heaven [print this page] Hailing from France, retro indie poppers Phoenix might be used to commercial fame (literally, as their hit song "1901" landed a spot for a Cadillac television commercial,) but they aren't used to that special so-Cal kind. The band members were especially blown away by the crowd response during San Diego radio station FM 94.9's holiday concert special Holiday Hootenanny, as the group outperformed the entire five-band festival though they were only an opening act.
The Parisian performers were so blown away by the response that their dance-pop set was given they added a special 'oomph' when vocalist Thomas Mars threw himself out onto the crowd at least three times. "We weren't expecting this," Mars repeated throughout their hour long set. The early December show, hosted by the University of California, San Diego's RIMAC Arena, also hosted indie rockers Manchester Orchestra, Vampire Weekend and Spoon, but it was the head-bopping Phoenix that remained the crowd favorite.
Websites featured the special Phoenix tickets, more which can be found throughout January. The group followed up their Southern California experience with performances through mid-December, and will return to the States again in late January.
The group is supporting their fourth set, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, their most commercially and internationally successful album to date. Though the hit-maker wasn't produced with any more finesse than usual, thanks to the hits like "Lisztomania" and "Fences," the group's sound was quickly wolfed down by mainstream audiences. In fact, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was actually a return to their roots, as the quartet worked with their debut United mixer Philippe Zdar. It isn't just the first two tracks that have entered untapped territory, either; the group continues to punch out indie rock hit after hit on the ten track set.
The '80s rock influenced outfit got together in the '90s via Mars' Paris home, along with bassist Deck d'Arcy, guitarist Christian Mazzalai and brother Branco. Their thick French accents aren't noticeable when they are singing songs, but talking to NPR the language barrier is apparent. The group talks about their music, especially their break thanks to Mars' wife Sophia Coppola.
Besides featuring "Too Young" in Coppola's film Lost in Translation, the star of that flick was even brought over to their video "Honeymoon." "[Coppola] sent us one of the best music videos we could ever had," Mars admitted, "which was Bill Murray dancing on our music." The group gained more American attention when Animal Collection remixed their hit "Love like a Sunset;" "We love [the remix]; we prefer, though, that the remix stays a bit less good than the original [laughs]; we love the fact that at some point, the music belongs to everybody."
Phoenix, which officially became the group's name in 1997 after two years touring the French bar circuit playing Hank Williams and Prince covers. Their label Ghettoblaster's first single slid through the crowds, shuffling 500 copies, which helped them sign to Paris's Source Records. Though they stepped up as labelmates Air's backing band, they picked up their own headlines when the 2000 debut United appeared, an Astrawerks release. They followed up the debut with Alphabetical, It's Never Been Like That and, finally, 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.
by: Brent Warnken
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