The last time I heard about the Airborne Toxic Event, it was an earnest letter written to P4K from the band, and a lot has changed since then.

The Airborne Toxic Event-Sometime Around Midnight [mp3]

The group has blown up exponentially (they sold out the Ogden Theatre and they play in Boulder tonight) and their following keep on building. Their show was a pleasant surprise because I didn’t know what to expect. The group is derivative of a lot of other bands (name me one that isn’t), but the Arcade Fire came to mind immediately. The stage adorned with several backdrops of audiences with taped up eyes and mouths spoke volumes. The Los Feliz quintet have plenty of moxie and play with a chip on their shoulder and wear their hearts on their sleeves. They don’t apologize for sounding a bit homogenized and actually kind of embrace the notion. The groups best attribute live is the harmonizing vocals of Mikel Jollett and Anna Bolbett. The styles compliment each other very well and could benefit by using the harmonies more often. The evening saw the group cover the Stranglers (excellent choice) and obliterated the crowd when they played Gasoline. After the show, I promised myself to no longer associate the band with that distasteful P4K review, but anticipate a new album from the California band.