Oh, Freezepop. Many of your songs sound alike and even when energetic they're somehow low-key, but you are one of the most fun bands to see in a small space like Tonic's stage.
They pondered how long it'd been — settling on the very accurate "a couple years," — since they were last onstage at Tonic.
That time they were the headliner, perhaps riding the wave of rhythm games frenzy because of their inclusion in the first two "Guitar Hero" games and it's "Rock Band" spiritual successor.
That genre was a video game bubble that has since popped, and on Friday night at Tonic, the synthpop band was opening for Ming & Ping.
For whatever reason, there were far fewer people this time than in 2008, but the Boston band busted out a good selection of favorites, video game tracks and some rather stellar new songs from "Imaginary Friends," which will be released this fall.
Also new: a fourth band member, Christmas Disco-Marie Sagan, who works a musical board and looks kind of like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
On their website you can download the new track "Magnetic" for free. Other songs in the set list included "Brainpower," "Science Genius Girl," "Super Sprøde" and "Less Talk More Rokk," which features a shout-out to PBR, of all things.
Live, they sound slapdash. The tight regiment of electronica/synth music is lost on stage as they jump around, and adopt a much looser style. But they are, quite simply, fun. The band members look gleeful, pause briefly to say funny things, and occasionally dabble in keytar duels.
That’s enough for a Freezepop fan.
Headliners Ming & Ping performed later that night/early Saturday morning