MUTEMATH at the Download Festival

Summer festivals are upon us. Many festivals. Kind of watered down, no? So it’s time to take a look at the beasts of the east: All Points West, and Download Festival. OK, no, The Download Festival is nowhere near the project All Points West is. I mean, Radiohead, Underworld, The Roots, Girl Talk, and Animal Collective could all take the cake as a headliner, and you would have a great time.

But Saturday brings us The Download Festival at the Susquehanna Bank Center, led by The Killers, Iggy & The Stooges, Ghostland Observatory, MUTEMATH, Man Man, Louis XIV, and many others.

The Download Festivals in San Francisco and Los Angeles suffered from poor ticket sales. And say what you want about talent, but The Jesus and Mary Chain and Gang of Four don’t have the draw of The Killers.

Admittedly, the reason we’re going to this show is to check out MUTEMATH (MySpace), who, in this Phillyist's opinion, are the best stage performers in alt-rock. It’s not atypical to see lead singer Paul Meany jumping on and over his keyboard, or into stage lights. Nor is it unusual for three band members to be rocking out through their percussion jams. Darren King sets the bar for intense drummers. He’s been known to burn through $500 of drum sticks in a week. MUTEMATH’s stage antics are captivating, and once you take in their enthusiasm, that grass-roots promotion stuff will suddenly feel so natural for you.

Download Fest
Tomorrow, Sat., 8/2/08
2:00 PM
Susquehanna Bank Center, 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden
Tickets: $35-$95