It's been four years since music lovers heard from electro-pop band Miike Snow, and several more since Dallas got to host it. But with the release of a third studio album in early March, the Swedish trio made a welcome return to the forefront of indie music and packed 1,000-plus adoring fans into the Granada Theater Tuesday on its way to SXSW festival.
It's a return that Miike Snow has repeatedly said was not planned. After releasing Happy To You in 2012, the band simply didn't feel like they had much more to say and pursued individual projects. Two of the founding members, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, the internationally-acclaimed producers who penned pop gems like Britney Spears' "Toxic," launched new bands (Galantis and Amason, respectively). Lead singer Andrew Wyatt spent time writing songs alongside Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson, among other creative endeavors.
But when the three reconnected in 2014 and effortlessly created five new songs, they knew Miike Snow would be reinvigorated. Those five songs and a handful of other infectiously poppy tunes appear on the band's newest album, iii, which dropped March 4.
Perhaps fans felt Miike Snow's stop in Dallas could be an isolated event -- the sold out concert boasted a mix of longtime and more recent fans, all equally as excited to get their beat-heavy pop music fix. For the band's first tour in four years, it was one to remember.
Boston-based duo Kaneholler appropriately fit the bill and opened the show with its energetic breed of techno-pop. Lead singer Chelsea Tyler wowed attendees with her vocal range, climbing scales in similar fashion to powerhouses like Christina Aguilera. Among the many memorable moments was an upbeat cover of Nina Simone's "Sinnerman."
Back to the main event: Here are three reasons you shouldn't hesitate to grab a ticket next time Miike Snow is in town.
The dudes are seriously talented
Watching Miike Snow perform is like witnessing a game of musical chairs. The band's core three bounced around stage, taking turns as keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, and DJ, and affording fans an opportunity to see how each track came together. Many from Miike Snow's debut, self-titled release were driven almost exclusively by electronics, while several from its latest album, iii, incorporated more live instrumentation.
As an electronically-driven band, Miike Snow didn't rest on its laurels. Instead its members chose to do the legwork live, for instance, when producer Pontus Winnberg spread his arms wide to play two electronic control boards simultaneously. The addition of a live drummer also gave the performance a depth and magnetism that wouldn’t be replicated with the use of pre-recorded tracks.
Each show is bound to be unique
Miike Snow's concert Tuesday was neither perfect nor formulaic, a refreshing revelation considering many indie performances can feel like carbon copies of another. In one of the more candid moments, an animated Wyatt tripped over his mic chord during "Burial" and almost fell face first onto the stage. But he recovered and went on to redeem himself with guitar solo that felt beautifully frenzied and frustrated.
"Two great things happened during that song. I got contact high," Wyatt said in reference to the funky smell of marijuana growing increasingly pungent, "and I didn't totally eat shit on stage."
Even before the mishap, Wyatt had successfully been courting the crowd with banter, a small but worthwhile detail that can tranform a room from simply watching a show to feeling part of it.
You’re likely to hear your favorite song
Wyatt said near the beginning of the concert, the band was trying to “swing seamlessly between old and new,” and it held true to that promise.
Miike Snow opened with the first track on its latest release, "My Trigger," before volleying between favorites from Miike Snow ("Silvia," "Song For No One" and "Burial") and more recent hits, including 2016's "Genghis Khan," "Heart is Full" and "Lonely Life." The band didn't spend much time with its mellower 2012 release, Happy To You, only scratching the high parts, such as "Paddling Out."
The band kept the energy turned up to 11 throughout the show, which appeased fans who packed the house with the full intention of dancing their Tuesday night away. Miike Snow caught onto this, closing its regular set with the peppy “Black and Blue” and its encore with a sing-along to beloved track, “Animal.”
