Keith Jeffery performs at EdgeFest in Dallas, Texas, on April 27, 2013. (Photo by Alexa Stickler)
Brothers Keith and Michael Jeffrey, better known as alternative rock band Atlas Genius, put on a lively show at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on Monday. Atlas Genius is currently on a US tour following the release of their new single, “63 Days,” the band’s first new music for nearly two years.
Atlas Genius is not very flashy, especially considering the tempo and style of music they play. The band moved to the music and Keith was pretty active, but overall they were pretty calm and focused on pumping out the songs. But the guys did a great job of getting everyone into it. By the time they played their hit “If So” at the end of the show, most of the crowd was grooving. There were even two people running up and down the aisles dancing and singing!
Atlas Genius opened with the upbeat tune “The City We Grow” and then played one of their more popular songs “Stockholm.” Keith engaged the crowd throughout the night, making mostly brief comments in between songs. Keith also commented, rightfully so, on the beauty of the Synagogue and joked that they would now only play at synagogues. I was a bit surprised to hear the band perform “Trojans” (probably their biggest hit) around the halfway point of the show. While it’s not always the case that bands play their biggest hits last or during the encore, I certainly expected to hear this song later in the evening.
Atlas Genius also mixed in two covers: “Everybody Wants to Rule The World” by Tears For Fears and “You Spin Me Round” by Dead or Alive. This is worth mentioning because these are not songs that any band can cover. You have to have the right mix of vocals and instruments to perform these, especially “Everybody Wants to Rule The World.” Atlas Genius pulled it off and the crowd loved every minute of it.
It was an interesting show all around. Everything — from the venue to a set time for the show to the fact is was a Monday — created a unique experience. The fans loved the show! It was the right length, it was the right song selection, and the band sounded good. It’s tough to get people excited and dancing on a Monday night, but Atlas Genius achieved that — and everyone left satisfied.
Keith and Michael formed the group in 2009 and are the bands mainstay. The band released their debut album When It Was Now early in 2013, which made its way to #34 on the US Billboard 200. They have since put out another full length album in 2015 called Intimate Objects, and there is more music on the way later this year.
The band has started a very cool movement called “63 Days of Love,” inspired by their new single “63 Days.” Check it out and find out what it’s all about at http://atlasgenius.com/63DaysofLove.
Check out some of their music below and keep an eye out for new music soon.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd2yr12abg8&w=640&h=360]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi3Gv1udO5Y&w=640&h=360]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7ah0cNIgsU&w=640&h=360]