“I don’t know if you guys know this, but you are kind of known as a party school…at least that’s what they say in Chicago, so thank you for coming out tonight.” Peggy Wang( vocals/keyboard) exclaims. Along with their big assumptions, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart like it big; they play in big cities, they have a big name, and last but definitely not least, they boast a big sound. For such a small theater, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart rocked it to the walls, to the ceiling and out to the street at the Orpheum last Wednesday. With original beats, stellar instruments and a novel sound this New York quartet is likely to sell out much larger spaces in the future.

The two openers and the headliner’s light show were notably obnoxious. The boys of the Depreciation Guild asked numerous times for the blaring lights to be shut off. They were quite bright and had a strange way of dancing across the band members and backdrop of the stage. Depending on where an audience member was to sit would depend on the level of headache the lights created – the front equals a minimal headache, the back or balcony region however, creates the effect a strobe light has. While these lights were in fact not strobe lights, the way they were set up could have fooled anyone.

“Come Saturday” and “Higher than the Stars” were a few of the more catchy and distinctive songs. While the lyrics were a bit hard to hear during the entire concert, these two songs being no exception, the rush and overflow of instrumentals made up for it. The sound of the band was fresh, creative and unique, giving an all around surprising and welcoming breath of fresh air to listeners of mainstream music.

“This is our first time playing in Madison!”, Kip Berman (vocals/guitar) shouts after the first song. After their attention grabbing performance, Madison will gladly welcome The Pains of Being Pure at Heart for a second time somewhere in the future, with a much bigger stage and (hopefully) a much better light show.