The Polyphonic Spree @ Central Park
August 18th, 2003
This summer began and ended with 28 people in white robes saluting the sun: the Polyphonic Spree at the Central Park Summer Stage wasn’t quite the end of summer yet, I suppose, but there they were again, as joyful as they were back in June at Bonnaroo. We were very close up this time, and Tom DeLaughter is a charismatic man, even when he stumbles over the monitors and literally serenades the sun — that’s how full of love he is. Or ecstacy. Or something.
The Spree brought out John Cameron Mitchell for the encore, that “Hedwig” tune about taking the wig down from the shelf. You’d be surprised how well that worked.
It remains to be seen which direction DeLaughter will take this band, which is still very young but already sold a song to Apple and VW. The Spree could pursue more mainstream success (although most of them need a shave for that to happen), or they could get a lot weirder and push the glorious noise that is their strength to even more demented heights. Because when you start the show with the finale, where is there left to go? Even higher, that’s where.
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