This past Friday night, Electron hit Ardmore Music Hall outside Philadelphia, PA for a holiday hometown show. Comprised of bassist Marc Brownstein and keyboardist Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits, drummer Mike Greenfield of Lotus, and American Babies/Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist Tom Hamilton, Electron has evolved from a Brownstein side project into a live force in its own right. As Brownstein remarked at the start of the show, the band has been playing together in the area for 17 years.
Electron welcomed several special guests for the Ardmore show. Local saxophonist Jay Davidson joined the band for a pair of songs, including traditional Christmas carol “God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen” and a first set-closing cover of The Grateful Dead‘s “Shakedown Street”. Fellow Philly native Tom McKee also got in on the action, tagging in for Magner to provide keys and vocals on a rendition of “Boy”, by his and Hamilton’s indie-electronic project Brothers Past. The rest of the set featured an extended tour of “Therapy” that wound its way into–and back out of–“Controntation”, as well as a suite of Christmas tunes and an excellent “Plan B”.
You can watch full video of the show below courtesy of Chris Cafiero:
Set 1:
Set 2:
Setlist – Electron – Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA – 12/23/16
Set One: Jam > Little Lai > Home Again, Grass Is Green > 3 Wishes > Grass Is Green, God Rest You Merry Gentlemen*, Shakedown Street*
Set Two: Boy**, Therapy > Confrontation > Therapy, Plan B
* with Jay Davidson on saxophone
** with Tom McKee on keyboards
[h/t – Jambase]