Concert Review: Spiritualized At The Granada Theater, 5/15

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Aligned in a crescent shape spread wide across the Granada Theater stage Tuesday night, Spiritualized began and ended with startling blasts of noise.

Their two hour set was methodical and intoxicating. Much like their albums, Jason Pierce and his band come off as supremely confident in the sound they're offering the listener.

This wasn't a concert to revel in the joy of improvisation –– shoegaze noise squalls stopped on a dime, giving way to bare, hypnotic guitar riffs. Psychedelic visuals projected upon the band often mimicked the peaks and valleys of the music it accompanied.

There was very little room for errors.

In the more sparse moments, we could hear Pierce most. The man once known as J Spaceman was often absorbed in the full, engrossing sound he's painstakingly created since the group's 1992 debut. On record, his pained lyrics are crisp above the mix. Live, they were part of the whole.

On Tuesday, Pierce was backed by a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, a drummer and a pair of backup singers who, at times, seemed to anchor their leader.

Early in the set, during "Lord, Let It Rain On Me," Pierce was hunched over, wailing.  The song had morphed its spacey, gospel buildup into a rackety crescendo and while Pierce's voice began to fracture, the singers offered a perfect contrast adding another sonic layer to the proceedings.  All the while keeping their dazed, doo-wop dancing in perfect step.

Spiritualized made time for a smattering of the band's catalogue, even covering Spacemen 3 track "Walkin' With Jesus."

Midway through the concert, the sample at the beginning of "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" echoed through the room, triggering the biggest reaction of the night. The song had an intensely calming effect and was the beginning of a soothing three-song suite that included "Mary" and "Stay With Me."

But Pierce wasn't done –– he ended the set with a triumphant "Come Together," only managing to top himself upon returning to the noise blast that welcomed us after "Cop Shoot Cop."

And then the visuals stopped and Pierce stepped from behind his perch, offering us a final wave –– the audience got what they came for, and Spaceman knew it.

Just like he had all along.