Concert Review: Little Boots, Passion Pit at Ultra Music Festival Day 1

Photo by Ian Witlen

Little Boots

​Click here to view photos from Day 1 at Ultra.

Little Boots, Passion Pit
Ultra Music Festival at Bicentennial Park, Miami
March 26, 2010

Better than: Anything LMFAO brought to the stage.

I'll admit right off the bat, the only reason I attended the first day of Ultra Music Festival was because of Little Boots and Passion Pit. I would have prefer to have seen them perform in a more intimate setting, but as they say, beggars can't be choosers.

First up was British singer/songerwriter Little Boots, who is found international acclaim after posting several cover songs on YouTube, which got her noticed by the blogosphere and record executives alike. Her debut album, Hands, is sort of the thoughtful electropop vapid artists like Lady Gaga wish they could create.

Kicking straight into her single "New in Town," an electro ditty you are probably familiar with if you frequent parties like Poplife or the Vagabond, Little Boots as flanked a full band, which provided a nice live feel to the track.

The 30-minute set also included "Symmetry," "Earthquake," and the immensely catchy "Remedy." Little Boots also made sure to interact with the crowd in between songs, asking if it was spring break and wishing she could be on break as well.

Photo by Ian Witlen

Passion Pit

​After a DJ intermission, Cambridge, Mass., band Passion Pit took the stage. Most people are probably familiar with them thanks to the Palm Pixi commercial which features their track "Sleepyhead," off their debut Manners. Its also one of those bands the indie-dance (AKA hipster) scene can't seem to get enough of. Lead singer Michael Angelakos' voice soars above lush electro rock melodies as he sings also completely in falsetto, which if you heard his deep normal talking voice, you'd be absolute amazed at his vocal range.

The only minor snafu was that the band seemed to be experiencing some monitor difficulties as their French engineer was stuck in customs at Miami International Airport. But guys, word of advice, if you are having problems, don't ever let the crowd see you sweat. In fact, had Angelakos not mentioned they were having sound issues, I wouldn't have noticed.

And the crowd didn't seem to mind either as they sang along at the top of their lungs during "The Reeling."

Critic's Notebook

Personal Bias: Indie dance-rock is sort of my thing.

Random Detail: I think having to share the stage with acts like LMFAO is perhaps the most insulting thing ever.

By the Way: Passion Pit will be back in June to the Fillmore Miami Beach during their North American headlining tour.