Incubus: Live at Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein BallroomNew York, NY
1/31/07
Several food courts–worth of suburban Abercrombie & Fitch kids drained into NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom for Incubus, a band that skirts pop radio on the strength of strong singles and the poster-boy good looks of lead singer Brandon Boyd. But instead of being treated to a flavor-of-the-month pop act, the crowd seemed just slightly startled by the authenticity of the artists onstage.
If "sounding just like the record" is a mark of distinction, then Incubus stands far apart from the masses: Bringing much of their newer material to the game, the band's performance was smooth and Boyd's voice rarely rougher than silk. Highlights included a starry "Wish You Were Here," an acoustic rendition of the band's seminal hit "Pardon Me" and a crowd-rousing "Drive": one misstep in an otherwise fast-paced set was the worrisomely noodly improv through "Sick, Sad Little World," but current single "Dig" quickly shifted the momentum back from the music school dissertation. As radio hit "Megalomaniac" closed out the night and kids rushed to catch the last train home, a question lingered: Did they know they were going to get a more honest show than the local radio station's sugary Jingle-Ball-A-Palooza-type concert they probably saw last month, or not? Whichever the case, they should know by now.
