Detroit synth punk rockers ADULT. played third during day one of the 2013 Treasure Island Music Festival. Their industrial, crunching melodies blistered under the hot sun, as San Francisco’s infamous “Indian Summer” kept festival goers warm even in mid-October. Frontwoman Nicola Kuperos poked fun at herself, telling the crowd, “It’s beautiful today, and I’m glad we’re in the sunshine, but it’s really fucking bright up here. You don’t even understand how I feel. I want to crawl under the stage. It’s dark down there…” She laughed, acknowledging the band’s preference for dark clubs. Kuperos and her bandmate and husband Adam Lee Miller danced through tracks like “Hand to Phone,” “Nausea,” and “Kick in the Shin,” all featuring analog synths and drum machines, layered with Kuperos’ frenetic singing. This is a band which takes its electronic programming seriously, using real instruments and live vocals. Kuperos switched between two microphones, one normal and one with echo which she would sing into at the end of each line. Kuperos loves crowd interaction as well, jumping into the fray at the end of their set to dance with fans and walk around talking. She ended up at the side of the lawn, talking and taking photos with fans after the set ended. It’s refreshing to find a band who seem so dark and aloof from their artwork, but who remain approachable and grateful in person.
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words by Kat Metrovich / photos by Victoria Holt and Stacy Cornett.
This week we celebrate the 15th year of one of Seattle’s favorite hometown labels: Barsuk Records! Since its birth in 1998, Barsuk has helped create a platform for dozens of great bands, from the Pacific Northwest and otherwise, to get off the ground and put forth incredible music. Even in the deca…
