Team Spirit played their second show ever at Glasslands Gallery on February 29,2012. You wouldn’t have known that judging by the passionate fan support and their tight surf-punk songs.
Of course, that’s cheating a little and not recognizing Ayad Al Adhamy leading Team Spirit. Al Adhamy may be better known to most as a member of Passion Pit and his time with the band has really helped hone his skills. Don’t expect Passion Pit Part Duex as Al Adhamy carves out a nice niche of his own.
More of the review and photos from the night after the jump.
Team Spirit, like any good pop band, are inspired by love. Except it’s all about the breaking up. It’s like anti-pop, where all the emotion of a relationship gone awry is celebrated. The heartbreak is channeled into something raucous and uplifting with no tricks just plenty of rock swagger.
At Glasslands, Team Spirit played their EP along with two new songs. Songs like “Fuck the Beach” and “Teenage Love” are fun revisionist takes on ’50′s surf rock. Less feel-good vibes and more punk, there are bouncing riffs, catchy hooks and fun sing-along choruses.
The band sounded amazingly tight with no real hiccups to speak of. Al Adhamy has a fun rock wail going on that has a bit of a growl to it and plenty of punch. Credit goes to the drummer who did double duty having played drums for Secret Music earlier in the night.
The fans at Glasslands got the vibe immediately and joined along on this fun exploration of love. Al Adhamy embraced the role of frontman having fun with the crowd and introducing songs with tongue firmly in cheek.
I can definitely see Team Spirit being a summertime hit. Before Al Adhamy jumped into crowd during “Jesus, He’s Alright!,” the fans decided to get physical, forming a bit of a mosh pit. Drawing that kind of reaction? Not bad for their second show ever.
Team Spirit at Glasslands
Earlier in the night Secret Music and Psychobuildings took to the stage.
Secret Music
I enjoyed the fun tunes of Secret Music and their guitar-driven sound. Plenty of keys and riffs, it was easy to get right into what Secret Machine were all about. They definitely have plenty of youthful energy and it was a spirited start to the night.
Psychobuildings
Psychobuildings was up next and unfortunately their set was marred by some technical difficulties. When everything was right, Pyschobuildings was minimal dance music done right. It was breezy, kind of trippy and had some nice layered beats.
