Cut Copy: 2 April 2011 – New York

Dan Whitford was a conductor. As the lead singer and songwriter of Cut Copy he expertly directed the enthusiasm and energy of the sold-out Terminal 5 crowd Saturday night through their brisk set. Unlike LCD Soundsystem’s series of marathon shows here earlier in the week, the crowd was animated throughout, ceaselessly jumping and dancing about. (That it was the weekend surely played a part.) Though the beat drops in the most obvious and announced of ways in many a Cut Copy track, Whitford’s charged arm pumps and countdowns always helped provoke an eruption of excitement and euphoria when it arrived on cue.

While touring in support of their latest release, Zonoscope, the Aussie quartet was hardly restrained by it. They opened and closed with songs from the excellent In Ghost Colours (“Nobody Lost, Nobody Found” and “Out There on the Ice”), and even added an extra encore with “Feel the Love.” The crowd was raging for the entirety of their brief but intense set, showing no willingness to pause during new tracks like “Take Me Over,” “Need You Now,” and the extensive “Sun God.” It was a testament to the material, guitarist Tim Hoey’s drum kit-climbing antics, and Whitford’s impressive command.