To Incubus purists, a first listen of the band’s new album If Not Now, When? paints the Brandon Boyd Gang as a bunch of lovelorn softies who’ve traded in their overdrive distortion for piano ballads. But don’t be misconstrued. Incubus has wisely taken a progressive approach to their sound and changed with the times. No longer filled with the angst that fueled songs like “Pardon Me” and “Megalomaniac,” their new tunes are airy, introspective sonnets that show maturity as a band and restraint from making the same song over and over again.
Tuesday’s LC Pavilion gig proved that these songs pack as much intensity as its wail-at-the-top-of-your-lungs counterpart hits. In fact, heard live, the juxtaposition between styles is actually refreshing. It’s been a while since the band’s days of complete MTV domination, so you’d naturally think they might be a little rusty. Believe it or not, Incubus is as ferocious in concert now as it was at the height of its powers. And Brandon and the boys know it.
Opening the 20-song set with “Pardon Me” ignited the audience into a frenzy of nostalgia. Twelve years later, the song is still a tour de force. Boyd is as charismatic as ever with his signature vocal gusto and stage antics – putting everything he’s got behind “Wish You Were Here,” “When It Comes,” “Consequence,” and “Just a Phase.” Surprisingly, it was the new songs that shined as “Adolescents” and an intimate rendition of “Defiance” exhibited Incubus’ zeal of being less defined by a particular genre.
No song put the newfound identity on display more than “Promises, Promises.” On paper, it sounds like a Gavin DeGraw-meets-Chris Martin B-side. But the song has major staying power and an impressive structure. Watching the band perform the song live shows a new vulnerability for Incubus and a possible rebirth into the music scene. Although there was a mass exodus after hearing “Drive,” the show was overall better than expected, with kudos to the crew for having stage lighting that behooves a band of its stature.
Incubus has no doubt changed its formula. But its core vocal nucleus remains intact. It will be interesting to see where Incubus musically goes from If Not Now, When? Regardless the direction, we can all take solace in the fact that some things never change. When Incubus takes the stage, the band delivers.
This review was written by Josh Fitzwater and brought to you by the Franklin University Plaza at the LC Pavilion. For more information about shows that Josh and the Franklin crew will be attending and for chances to win tickets to concerts all year long, visit us on Facebook. Photography was provided by Matt Ellis at Three-Songs Photography.
