By: Anna Roth

It was cold and clear in downtown Seattle as I approached the Paramount. Several elaborately costumed people on stilts filtered out of the theatre as we got closer, presumably to mingle with smokers and the claustrophobic standing outside. One stiltwalker with long feathers for fingers stroked my face as I fumbled with cold fingers for my tickets. Not something you’d expect in public, but this was New Years Eve, and Beats Antique was the main attraction; face-stroking stiltwalkers weren’t exactly outside the realm of possibility.

Waiting in line for the coat check I could see LYNX on a TV monitor. In the blue light and smoke onstage, she looked like a  lounge singer; completely commanding the crowds’ attention with her sultry voice, she made the interior of the Paramount feel as intimate as a dinner club.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to hear much from LYNX, but she would be back for a performance with the headliner later that night. After checking a coat and acquiring a drink, I walked onto the floor. People were standing around talking and drinking despite the ear-splitting drums of Y La Bamba. They were hipsters, or just folks dressed up for the night; maybe both. In between songs, the band played a mix of new and old music, and were enjoyable, but by the end of their set, it was evident the crowd wanted to get rowdy.

After a short transition, Sidecar Tommy and David Satori walked onstage to much cheering. After a few bars of their opening number, “Crush”, Zoe Jakes swept onstage in what proved to be one of many elaborate costumes, and performed an arresting solo – the crowd was mesmerized, breaking into cheers and whoops only when Jakes stopped undulating.

After the first number, Beats gave fans a good helping of sounds from their newest CD, starting with “Skeleton Key.” This was a good choice, the crowd wanted to move, and the song is very danceable. The rest of the show was relentlessly entertaining; every song accompanied by elaborate costumes and incredibly intricate lighting design. Mid-set, Jakes made another mesmerizing appearance, this time dancing backlit behind a sheet to “Colony Collapse”. LYNX was brought onstage to slow things down with “Crooked Muse”, but the night ended with the stilt-walkers from earlier in the night joining the band onstage for a crazy final number including serious beats, serious lights, and serious dancing.

Beats Antique are not only excellent performers, they also know exactly how to play their crowd. For the entire night, the audience was completely absorbed with the band and their performance; when Beats wanted to slow things down, we went right along with them. And when they wanted to take the energy to the top of the room, we were happy to oblige. The countdown to midnight and the release of the balloons from the ceiling were just one more step in building up the anticipation for their final number, and when it was over, the audience practically shouted the roof down to get them back onstage.

By this time, though, Beats Antique has got to be used to it. Crowds love them no matter where they go. If you’ve never seen these guys, keep your eyes out for more performances. A Beats Antique show has got to be seen to be believed.