alt-J is one of those acts that's become unexpectedly popular in the past few years with a sound driven by pristine, unearthly vocals that drift, soar and glide in gossamer strands of mesmerizing melody, or hoot, howl and annunciate brasher assertions, their percussive art rock made just catchy enough via folktronic and trip-pop elements to earn some Alternative Radio airplay and win a broad base of fans while still maintaining its rather idiosyncratic mystique. Like, it wouldn't feel at all out of place if you were walking through an enchanted forest at twilight, amid twinkling fireflies and fluttering faeries, and you heard the wordless choral refrain of "Fitzpleasure" or "Hunger of the Pine," or the eerie a capella harmonies of "Interlude 1" playing faintly in the background.
If you missed the UK quartet's rather early set at 97X Next Big Thing in December, want a redux or something to whet your appetite prior to their end-of-September stop in Orlando (details about that below, too), Fathom Events teams up with Artists Den to stage an intimate single-night screening event in select U.S. cinemas: Artists Den Presents alt-J.
Recorded live at LA's historic Hollywood American Legion exclusively for the Artists' Den, the private performance was staged for a mere 600 guests and the 18-song setlist culls from alt-J's 2012 debut (An Awesome Wave) and 2014 Grammy-nominated sophomore follow-up This Is All Yours.
Artists Den Presents alt-J will be screened Tues., Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m., at the following Tampa Bay area theaters: AMC Regency 20/IMAX, 2496 W. Brandon Blvd., Brandon (tickets); AMC Woodland Square 20/IMAX, 3128 Tampa Road, Oldsmar (tickets); and Regal Citrus Stadium Park Mall 20, 7999 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa (tickets). Trailer for the screening below, along with the complete setlist.
alt-J also plays Hard Rock Live in Orlando on Wed., Sept. 30, at 8 p.m.; tickets are $40.50, $50.50 and $75.30, and can be purchased here.
Setlist
1. Hunger of the Pine
2. Fitzpleasure
3. Something
4. Left Hand Free
5. Dissolve Me
6. Matilda
7. Bloodflood
8. Bloodflood Part 2
9. Interlude 1
10. Tessellate
11. Every Other Freckle
12. Taro
13. Warm Foothills
14. The Gospel of John Hurt
15. Lovely Day (Bill Withers Cover)
16. Nara
17. Leaving Nara
18. Breezeblocks