The Australian singer/songwriter Gotye came to Boston on Thursday to play a sold-out show at the House of Blues. Originally planned to be at Paradise Rock Club, the show was moved to accommodate his seemingly ever-growing fan base. He owes his overnight success to the irresistible “Somebody that I Used to Know” which has taken the charts by storm. This one taste, however, pulls people into Gotye’s incredible dexterity and talent. The speed at which his tickets disappeared practically ensures that he will soon be playing much larger venues. New Zealand singer Kimbra, who joined him on tour, was also a delight.
Gotye began his career as the drummer for the Australian band The Basics. This comes through in his solo career where his songs are layered over incredibly complex beats and intertwining rhythms to hypnotically capture his audience. Possessing an enormous range, some songs, such as the jazzy and experimentally-autotuned “State of the Art,” had the audience dancing and jumping, while others such as “Heart’s a Mess” had people swaying and enthralled. Each song is haunting and darkly powerful, dragging out one’s emotions.
His performance didn’t just consist of singing, but he used the various gizmos that surrounded him almost as if it were a drum kit. Some were drums, some were keyboards, and some were anybody’s guess, but they all helped him create his atmospheres. He was also backed by a very multifaceted band, each member of which had its own assortment of instruments.
This concert wasn’t all it could be, however, not because of Gotye, but because of the audience. The crowd stayed still and silent during most of the concert, with only a few bobbing here and there. They only really grew lively when he started up “Somebody that I Used to Know.”
Gotye also seems to be getting used to his newfound fame. He tried with limited success to divide the entire House of Blues into sections for a sing-along. Furthermore, the first song of his encore, “Bronte,” was an incredibly slow and quiet piece that necessitated silence that the audience was just unwilling to provide. It would have been very powerful in a smaller venue but he just could not pull off in the larger one. Even for “Somebody That I Used to Know,” he had difficulties, being overpowered by the suddenly vocal audience.
Gotye is an incredible musician, well deserving of his newfound fame. Once he gets used to it and develops a solid fan base, he will go on to play larger venues and leave the audience completely electrified. Yet, even while getting his footing, he still puts on an incredible performance. It should be interesting to chart Gotye’s career.
