MAGNET Live Review: Trans Am/Adult

I was five in 1980. Unaware of how bad fashion and music could be. I sure wasn’t old enough to pick out my own clothes, and if asked who my favorite singer was I probably would have said my dad (who had a rock band of his own called the Fever). Now, at 27, I’m somehow floating—or maybe it’s more along the lines of drowning—in this return of ‘80s pop culture. Don’t get me wrong; I do embrace some of it. I don’t hate all the fashion, I just hope I’m not going to have to see parachute pants again. And as far as the music goes, I admit I love all the old new-wave hits and probably even some of the ones that weren’t so spectacular. Tonight at Transit, one of Philadelphia’s largest clubs, I wanted (and needed) to be impressed with the performances of ‘80s revivalists Adult and Trans Am.

Adult: The duo can make you move. While I was expecting their set to be augmented by a light show and maybe some video footage in the background, Nicola Kuperus and Adam Le Miller gave us nothing but themselves onstage, alongside a few microphones, a synthesizer and a guitar. For some, this would have been more than enough. The twosome sounded icy and detached, looking perfectly cool and mysterious in that new electro way. Most of the songs were culled from Adult’s latest, Resuscitation, a collection of remixes alongside a handful of new tracks. Songs like “Nausea,” which should absolutely make you dance like a freak, had no effect on the detached-looking Detroit duo. I’m guessing Adult’s firm stance against mobility may have something to do with its projected image: Kuperus and Le Miller wear all black and play music that’s eerie and intriguing. With this in mind, I may be able to forgive them for standing like mannequins during crowd pleasers “Human Wreck” and “Pressure Suit.”

As for the now-new-wave Trans Am, the group at least delivered visuals in the way of video footage. Usually known for its prog-rock complexity, Trans Am has changed its image and musical style. A band that’s been at the forefront of mocking/loving the ‘80s for seven albums, the trio—Philip Manley, Nathan Means and Sebastian Thomson—has finally taken its shtick to the next level with the recent TA. Arriving onstage dressed in white and sporting sweatbands and gold chains, this band looks like something resurrected from your worst ‘80s nightmare. Even Trans Am’s video-display images of Solid Gold Dancers were used to bring us back to the post-disco era. The trio’s energy was best distilled through the dark new-wave anthem “Cold War” (TA’s opening track) and the synth-and-beat-driven “Molecules.” Other memorable numbers included the ever-robotic “Party Station” and the vocally charged “Positive People” (TA is the band’s first vocals-heavy album). The incredible climax came when Thomson’s cymbals were lit on fire to end the show. Who says a post-rock act can’t become ‘80s cool? Absurd is the word!