Atlas Genius Blows The Roof Off Of The ONCE Ballroom

By Jordan Lindley

Saturday night in Somerville, MA was filled with marching drums, dancing, and more Telecasters than you could shake a Schecter at. The ONCE Ballroom hosted Half The Animal, Magic Giant, and Atlas Genius in a floor-shaking performance that had my ears ringing into the next day.

First up was Half The Animal, revving up the audience with tones like Fitz and the Tantrums and Young the Giant. The four-piece group kicked the crowd's energy into a higher gear, giving the first three rows no choice but to dance along. While their originals were exciting and well-arranged, their surprise cover of Childish Gambino's hit song Redbone brought the whole performance together.

​Next came Magic Giant, who burst onto the stage with a crazy-cool blend of folk/space rock/pop/bluegrass. I could describe them as a cross between Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers, and Imagine Dragons, but there's something new in their set that none of those bands could combine to create. Between swapping instruments mid-song, breaking out two giant bass drums and a viola, and literally climbing into the middle of the crowd to do an acoustic performance, Magic Giant lifted the spirits in the room and left us wanting more. I quite literally heard a fellow audience member say "that was the best performance I have ever seen" before the headliner.

Atlas Genius took the stage to an eager crowd. The 5-piece group played everything from their first EP to a Tears For Fears cover -- no stone in their discography was left unturned. The expected hits came out like "Trojans" and "If So," as well as their newest single, 63 Days, but welcome additions to the setlist, all the same. Keep an eye out for Atlas Genius's new album, due out soon, and for more concert coverage, stick with Headrush TV!