Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
The swirling intensity of Fontaines D.C. was apparent right from the start for the Irish band.
Lead guitarist Conor Curley walked out, starting with some thick notes of "Romance," the title track of their new disc."
Lead singer Grian Chatten soon would join him, cutting an imposing figure. That'll happen when you come out in a black trench coat, a trapper hat (It wasn't that cold in Beantown!) and shades. Chatten eventually dispensed of the couture, but he never got rid of his focus and attitude in doling out the songs.
The recent, well-received CD, "Romance," dominated the set list with eight of the 17 songs from the band's fourth album. Good choice because there was a lot of good material – "In the Modern World," "Here's the Thing" the closing song, "Starbust" - among them - to work from.
Chatten's delivery sometimes recalled Echo & The Bunnymen with The Cure cited as a musical influence as well.
Easily moving about the stage from start to finish, Chatten simply had a commanding voice – sonorous, clear and clean. At times, he went into a spoken word sequence, giving a different tone, but with the same overt passion.
Drummer Tom Coll provided a strong backbone to the music with his sure handed, sometimes rapid fire drumming, setting a very sturdy beat. That became more and more obvious as the night wore on.
There was a lot to like about the entire band with synthesizers part of the mix at times as well. Or for a change of pace, Curley took on lead vocals on one song with Chatten, going back and forth between them. Or going for a more acoustic feel (Chatten playing acoustic on "Sundowner").
ontaines D.C. would not be accused of overstaying their welcome. The regular set clocked in at 55 minutes with a three-song, 20-minute encore (and that's generous because that included having to stop playing because a fan had a medical issue). This wasn't a case of the music not being very good, and there wasn't enough of it.
Far from it.
Been Stellar, a New York City quintet, opened with a complimentary set. Like the headliners, Been Stellar was in the indie rock space. There were a few too many songs that didn't mix it up enough, although by the end they had. A promising set by a group that was certainly comfortable on the big stage.