There was a distinctly reverent vibe in the audience at Echoplex last night. Though the crowd applauded as much as is deemed polite, Active Child’s performance was less like like a concert-going experience and more like watching a man plumb the depths of his own faith in himself, proving time and time again that he is worthy. That man is Patrick Grossi, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist whose one-man-band performance on his debut EP Curtis Lane is re-created with the addition of a live bass player/backup vocalist (for my BnB interview with Patrick, click here).

The show began with ‘She Was a Vision’, a perfect microcosm of Active Child’s restless, self-described ‘hymntronic’ world. In addition to reverberating synth chords, multi-layered drum loops, and an almost deafaning live bass guitar, Patrick’s live harp playing was transcendental to say the least. The cadenza at the end was only surpassed by the lingering impression of heartbreaking lyrics like “I stood there with my jaw on the ground/I lost my composure but I didn’t make a sound”.

 

The second song ‘I’m in Your Church at Night’ swelled slowly as Patrick suddenly introduced his angelic voice’s alter ego, a surprisingly rich, warm, baritone timbre. The difference between his two voices is great, and their complimentary contrast makes it difficult to choose favorites. Both demand and employ spot-on intonation and masterful phrasing from both Patrick and his bass player, and both bowed their heads as if in prayer over their lush harmonies. Perhaps it is the fact that you can focus more on vocals and take more risks without the many moving parts of a full live band, but I know very few electronic artists who take as many successful risks as Patrick (not to mention it was he that created the perfect backdrop of sound in the first place).

After the second song, he thanked the crowd for being there, explaining that he had been on tour for about a month and it was “good to be home.” A member of the crowd immediately cried “Good to have you back!” and Patrick smiled. “Thanks man,” he said graciously, and he meant it.  But he only paused briefly, picking up a guitar in place of his harp and moving on to the brooding ‘Wilderness’, an expansive ebb and flow of synth chords and chopped up electronic drum tracks. The sound of his guitar mirrored the complexity of his voice with a volatile, wholly alive sound.

 

Then came the decidedly dark and Brit-poppy ‘Weight of the World’. Full of angsty vocals and a jangling guitar over a simple, repetitive bass line that shook the corners of my vision, the crowd was mesmerized as a light film of smoke floated across the stage. We took our cues from both men onstage: when they danced, we danced. Especially toward the end of the second to last song ‘Take Shelter’, when Patrick moved to play synth bells on top of a deceptively aid-back bass line. Within a host of cloudy minor chords came a break of major sunlight, ending the piece and resolving all in a magnificent way. He gripped the microphone intently, and the crowd seemed to collectively hold its breath.

The celebratory last song ‘When Your Love is Safe’ contained an airy chorus over a driving, two-tone bass line. The end of the song dissolved in tripped out vocalizations, exalted synth melodies, and the wistful admission “There’s something that I want to tell you that I never said/I’m sorry that I ever told you all those things I didn’t mean inside my head/But you know that’s just the way I am/Just trying to forget that this ain’t no ordinary love”. Patrick began to dance in earnest, proving that you can have fun in church.