Pond plays a magnetic night at The Metro
CHICAGO – Australian psych-rock band Pond blasted through the Windy City’s Metro on August 27 to kick off their latest North American tour in honor of their most recent album, Terrestrials.
Opening the evening was local three-piece act Daisychain, a femme-fronted rock band that proved to be the perfect firecracker to get the night started. After the psych- and blues-rock trio wrapped up, the lights dimmed, and Pond took the stage, ready to play songs from Terrestrials alongside earlier tunes.
As the first few notes of Skyworks rippled through the venue, the crowd was instantly thrown into a smooth ride of rhythm and wonder. Pond is fronted by Nick Allbrook, a fiery talent who orchestrated an energetic set from start to finish. The energy on this particular night was contagious; Allbrook leapt into the crowd several times throughout the performance, engaging with the audience as personally as he could be.
Everyone seemed mesmerized not only by his energy, but also by his Mick Jagger-like moves. Allbrook is a captivating frontman, constantly in motion and seemingly feeding off the energy coming back at him from the crowd.
Rounded out by multi-instrumentalist and producer Jay Watson, guitarist Joseph “Shiny Joe” Ryan, keys player Jamie Terry, and drummer James Ireland, the rest of Pond more than held their own. Together, the band made the room feel magnetic, filling every corner of the Metro with layers of sound and wonder.
At one point, the band asked how many people in the audience had been listening since their 2017 album, The Weather. Screams immediately rang through the venue. There was no denying that Pond had some dedicated fans in the audience, something made even more obvious by how packed and enthusiastic the room was throughout the night.
The band played through songs like Paint Me Silver and Giant Tortoise, alongside newer material such as Two Hands. The set moved effortlessly between different eras of Pond’s discography while maintaining the same hypnotic energy that makes their music so captivating live.
The encore of the night was Don’t Look at the Sun or You’ll Go Blind, a jam full of synthesizers that feels a little like riding through space, much like Pond’s music as a whole. It was an appropriate ending to a set filled with movement, color, sound, and imagination.
Pond’s show at the Metro served as a reminder that they are one of the most exciting acts to push beyond the boundaries of psych today. Their music can be loud and chaotic one moment, then dreamy and expansive the next. If the Thursday night was any indication, the band is still finding new places to take their audience.
Setlist:
Skyworks
Casuarina
America's Cup
So Lo
Two Hands
Sweep Me Off My Feet
Black Lung
Daisy
Human Touch
Paint Me Silver
Terrestrials
The Weather
Giant Tortoise / Eye Pattern Blindness
Toast
Don’t Look at the Sun or You’ll Go Blind
