Aaron Pfenning, Caroline Polachek, and Patrick Wimberly make up the Brooklyn, NY based band Chairlift. They played some of the big music festivals this year, but are best known for their song “Bruises” which was recently featured on the 4^th edition iPod Nano commercial. Polachek is the lead vocalist, and also plays the keyboard, Pfenning, plays guitar and does back up vocals, and Wimberly does guitar/bass, synthesizer, etc. I always think it’s nice when a band has a female lead singer, especially if she is good and doesn’t just sing about guys all the time. Fortunately Polachek fit into this category. You could tell the band was focused on the artistry of their music, and they managed to create something very unique and surprisingly delightful.

Hailing from the uber-cool Brooklyn, NY, the band was dressed as you’d expect them to be, effortlessly hip, with a mixture of thrift store, DIY, and grunge. They started the set with Snoop Dogg’s “Sexual Seduction,” which was amazing. The rest was kinda slow, kinda dancey. Polachek has a great voice, and exudes passion and commitment. Chairlift has released 2 albums and they played songs from each, including a new song in French, and their hit “Bruises.” It was a good live show, with pretty music that is also fairly substantial.