by Meaghan Paulosky
If you weren’t at Underground Arts on May 21st, my bleeding heart goes out to you. Under a veil of hip, subterranean darkness, fans of all ages (but over 21) gathered to catch Maxïmo Park before they head back to the UK.
The five-piece from Newcastle upon Tyne was here to tour their new, self-produced album, Too Much Information. After indulging the West Coast with Virginia-bred power trio, Eternal Summers, Maxïmo Park decided it was time for the United States’ better half.
Eternal Summers thrilled with new songs, as well as fan-favorites, before Maxïmo Park took the stage. Though, ‘took the stage’ might be an understatement. Emerging in a checkered suit and fedora to match, frontman Paul Smith seized the stage. When asked of his start with Maxïmo Park, Smith’s bandmates claim they didn’t even know he could sing – he simply hypnotized them with his uncontrollable, yet coordinated, movements. And hypnotize (and sing) he does.
With his signature display of squirming, and shaking, Smith and the band delighted the audience to both new and old songs. For years Maxïmo Park has been wooing audiences and fans, but songs from Too Much Information entice this tenured romance to the next level.
In songs like “Brain Cells”, “My Bloody Mind”, and “Give, Get, Take”, they truly experiment with self-produced autonomy, challenging dark and modern/dance pop of the electronic and indie worlds to come together. If you don’t already feel miserable enough about missing out, they even treated guests to songs from their severely underplayed second and third albums.
Maxïmo Park will finish out the weekend in Boston, but be sure to listen to Too Much Information until they return.
