The Faint, Jaguar Love | The Trocadero, Philly | 8/17/08

The Faint got Philadelphia so sexually-pent up last Sunday night at the Trocadero. I think it might have been an full-out orgy.

As several contributors to this site can attest to, if there’s a dance party to be had within a 30 mile radius of Philly, chances are I’m there. Hence when The Faint announced a tour with the new Blood Brothers/Pretty Girls Make Graves hybrid outfit Jaguar Love, tickets were in my hand almost immediately. The Faint proved that they are hands down the best live electro rock band in existence today, if not the best ever. It was legendary.

The buzz building around Jaguar Love leading up to this show was nearly deafening, and I couldn’t wait to see what insanity Johnny Whitney & Co. would pull out. I have to say, it was a little bit disapointing. It wasn’t the spectacular display of rock hedonism that I’d come to expect from that bunch. Whitney literally never stopped bouncing around the stage and would scream incoherently at the audience in between songs, while the rest of the band kind of just…stood there. I guess they have some kinks to work out.

Then all hell broke loose. That is of course if your visualization of hell involves a dance pit orgy to the loudest bass lines and synth notes you’ve ever heard, headed by a guy dressed like a mad scientist. As soon as bassist Joel Peterson hit the first notes of “Glass Danse” the crowd exploded. When they followed with “Dropkick The Punks,” it was a perfect combination of dance, mosh, and not knowing/caring whose sweat you’ve got all over your body. Every single person was freaking out at full throttle for an hour and a half straight. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in a cloud of humid body odor.

Todd Fink’s lab coat and goggles, combined with the insane light show made for a surreal experience. I barely remember what songs they were even playing, between the lights, overwhelming bass and continuous dance-moshing. They left the stage after almost causing a riot with “Paranoiattack,” only to return with a three song encore made up of “Birth,” “The Geeks Were Right,” and “Agenda Suicide.” I almost passed out. Walking out of the Troc, we all looked like we had just jumped in a pool and swam around for a bit.

So. Awesome.

Jaguar Love

The Faint