SoCo Carnivale Parade 2010 featuring The Polyphonic Spree

Brisbane Powerhouse 19.02.10

Inspired by the New Orleans Carnivale, the SoCo Carnivale Parade 2010 featuring orchestral-pop party group The Polyphonic Spree was a massive party with a lively, positive atmosphere. On entering the venue, everyone was given a choice of a selection of carnivale costume accessories, including North American Indian headdresses, carnivale masks, hats and colourful necklaces. A range of cocktails complemented the theme as did special guests The New Orleans Bingo! Show.

A French jazz band that can be described as theatrical, comedic, bee-bop, honky tonk, quirky cabaret carnies, The New Orleans Bingo! Show created a surreal spectacle with some sinister looking characters interacting with the audience to the extent of getting in amongst the crowd and dancing with them. The black and white silent films playing on the screen behind them contributed to the authenticity. A hard act to follow and one of the rare instances where the support act was more impressive than the headliner.

The symphonic-pop, 18-member group from Dallas, The Polyphonic Spree can only be described as a bizarre experience, in a happy, positive way. Their hippy-like presence sometimes seemed a bit too much like a Christian youth group performing at a local community hall. This was only reiterated when they performed their encore wearing white flowing robes and also the lead singer’s remarkable resemblance to Jesus. However, they do provide a unique contribution to pop music and culture, their positive energy and overall hippy vibe certainly creates their own niche in the pop genre.

Performing some of their biggest hits such as, ‘Light and Day’ from their first album, ‘Running Away’ and ‘Championship’ and some interesting choices for covers, like Paul McCartney’s ‘Live and Let Die’ and Nirvana’s ‘Lithium’, demonstrated their versatility. Ending with a cover of Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ and a shower of balloons and confetti, this fancy-dress extravaganza proved to appeal to a wide demographic and a diverse range of musical tastes.

By Jessica Ebser

ENDS