I simply don't get the appeal. 1901 sounds like a Target commercial to me. Everyone but critics (and I must assume long time fans) that I've heard raving about Phoenix mentions the fact that they and Air are both from Versailles...Which clearly has nothing to do with how good they are.

Your review seems to have the right amount of positivity AND cynicism. Care to dig a little deeper?

Why do hipsters always bitch and moan when a band they like becomes popular? Is your sense of self really so fragile that you can only allow yourself to enjoy music that nobody else likes? The music is just as good as it was two years ago, and if the fact that people you look down on like it too ruins it for you then you're only denying yourself something that would otherwise have brought you pleasure. It sounds like the band is able to act like adults about this - you should learn to do the same.

Ditto @1. It's actually really nice to read that their intentions were to make music true to themselves, undiluted by commercial expectations (no, I'm not being cynical). But that doesn't make it any less bland.

In retrospect, I realize that I sound kind of like a douchebag with my earlier comment. I get that a lot of good music just doesn't fit in huge arenas, and that seeing a good song in a completely inappropriate context (like a car commercial) can diminish it. I just think that the band makes a really good point when they say that both kinds of venues have value, and I'm glad that they're gettin paid. If you refuse to see a band you love just because you don't like the venue, you're just denying yourself what could be a great experience.

@4-- Perfect assessment. The only problem with Jeff Kirby is that he is too indie to see that indie is already a commodity especially popular with pre-teens, tweens, and young adults with Peter Pan complexes. Cut your hair Kirby. And stop reminding everyone that you knew about Phoenix before they rose from the ashes of your mediocrity...

Are we still on for New Years?

It’s strange that you can’t point out that you’ve enjoyed a band for a number of years without it coming off like you’re trying to rub everybody else’s faces in it. That definitely wasn’t my intention; the point of this article wasn’t to convince anyone that I or my friends are cooler than anyone else. It’s become something of a cliché, as pointed out in comment 2, that “hipsters” complain when a band they like goes big, but there is always truth in it sucking, whether it be a band or a restaurant or anything that suddenly becomes appropriated by large numbers of people. When you are given the chance to appreciate something on your own terms for years, like getting to stand up close with all your friends to see your favorite band at an intimate venue, there is a minor sting when you realize you can’t have that anymore, and I was trying to convey that sting without sounding like a cool-kid whiner. I have no problem that so many people enjoy Phoenix’s music now. Everybody wins. The fact they have become wildly popular does not change the fact that their record is still my favorite of the year, but it does make a difference in how and where I am willing to invest my time and money seeing them perform. There are a lot of intricacies to Phoenix’s music, and there was a lot of crowd interaction at the last club show. Their return to Seattle is in a giant venue with bad sound full of people who are not there to see their band, but rather the arena rock bands that are headlining. This is the downside of a band becoming huge. In this situation, Phoenix has become part of a commodity: the reason they are there at all is because Deck the Hall Ball’s demographic might recognize their “Target commercial” single from corporate radio or television, not necessarily because Phoenix are a great band that puts on a great show. Though they are playing to a large crowd, most of that large crowd probably won't give a shit about them. In my opinion, Phoenix is simply not the type of band that fit this bill, so I took the opportunity to ask them myself how they felt about the situation. They were humble and appreciative, and reinforced that they will ride this wave while they can, but have no intentions of following the corporate arena rock path. Phoenix has been one of my favorite bands for years, trying to express that honestly was never an attempt to jockey for cool points, it’s just the way it is. I knew that there were plenty of other people (enough to fill the Crocodile, at least) that have loved this band for a while who were thinking, “Deck the Hall Ball? 30 Seconds to Mars? WTF???” I figured they would enjoy hearing what the band had to say about their current rise of popularity.

I knew your friends in 2000 and they weren't that cool.

Great job Jeff. I check in on the Stranger time to time and when I see your byline it's a great feelin. Keep it up and your picture will be next to John Olerud's at Interlake.