Pond, the psychedelic brainchild of Mink Mussel Creek and Tame Impala, roared through the west coast on their way to Canada this week. After being a late addition to the Desert Daze lineup and spreading their zany synth sounds all across Treasure Island, the band came up to the Neptune Theater to wow an audience at the in Seattle last Tuesday.
When Nick Albrock, Pond’s frontman, took the stage it seemed like he was born for the spotlight. Allbrook was dressed like a 60s rock star, with a loose button-down that barely hung onto his small frame by the last button. His loafers stayed perfectly in place while he danced circles around the stage, with the hair and composure of Mick Jagger. He successfully stole the show spending half of the set with the front row, tearing through the bar area to sing “Paint Me Silver.” Even on stage, he interacted with the audience, waving around his flute while talking about ideas for a new tattoo.
The band teased at an upcoming album release that has the potential to make some waves. A few new songs made it into the setlist that have fans anticipating something promising. Otherwise, the setlist was dominated by hits spanning from The Weather (2017) all the way back to Man it Feels Like Space Again (2015) and Hobo Rocket (2013).
Pond often gets wrongly labeled as a Tame Impala side project but it is something beautifully different. The pop-like overtures with underlying heavy rock all tie together with vocals that echo, bringing out a unique feeling. This band emerged as an effort to bring together the creative minds of Western Australia while leaving out things any egotistical self-interests. That idea is apparent on the stage when you see the group of friends jamming out and enjoying their time together. Pond will continue their tour through the US starting next week. Check out their dates here.
Written and Photos by Arnav Chaturvedi