Pitchfork

As they used to say, Architecture in Helsinki are an "up" band, and the crowd that gathered at Chicago's Logan Square Auditorium last night to peer at the knotty, nonsense-talking coterie was populated almost exclusively by "up" people. Hundreds of permasmiling, variably plastered young folks (and a few dutiful parents) flooded the floor to bop to and fro while the aw-shucks Aussie sextet rattled and hummed and sang "ay ay ay" a lot. It was sorta cute.

Tunes from the band's 2005 effort In Case We Die awoke the attendees' greatest reveille through the hour-plus, encore-free set, though one balanced-challenged group of young ladies up front called out in vain for Fingers Crossed's "The Owls Go." Ringleader Cameron Bird eventually deigned to begrudgingly mutter the title from the stage and spin a yarn about the tune meeting the same fate as Ronnie Van Zant. Bottom-heavy tracks from the spiny Places Like This held attentions just fine, and the colossal hook of new single and set closer "Heart it Races" doesn't falter in a live setting. We came, we saw, we growled-- by request-- like Chewbacca.

For the unconverted, Architecture in Helsinki can sound a bit like six people singing the script to a Care Bears cartoon, but for those up on what they're laying down, they're infallible. Well, except when they skip over "The Owls Go."

More photos and Architecture in Helsinki tour dates below.











Architecture in Helsinki:

06-13 Seattle, WA - Neumos #
06-14 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards #
06-15 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom #
06-16 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club #
06-18 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse #
06-19 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre !

# with YACHT
! with Gang Gang Dance, Ariel Pink