A hypnotic and visceral night of indie electronica!
Last night, The Aztec Theatre pulsed like a living organism—its gilded walls flickering in sync with the electricity flowing through Phantogram’s soundscape. The air felt charged, cinematic, and unshakably cool. Opening act Los Eclipses drew the crowd into a hazy dream, layering French and Spanish lyrics over sleek synths and noir-toned guitars. By the time Sarah Barthel and Joshua Carter emerged, the audience was ready to dissolve into a storm of bass and emotion. Their set—both haunting and euphoric—was a reminder of Phantogram’s rare ability to make darkness sound like liberation.
San Antonio’s night turned surreal as shadows danced across the crowd, voices echoed against neon beams, and every beat felt like a pulse straight to the heart. It wasn’t just a concert—it was an immersion in mood, memory, and melody.
LOS ECLIPSES
Opening the night, Los Eclipses—the electro-pop project of Eva De Marce and Dan Solo—cast a seductive spell over the crowd. With their shimmering lights and cinematic visuals, the duo built a world that felt both intimate and interstellar. Their set opened with “Sauvage,” a track that oozed cool confidence as Eva’s vocals floated above an ocean of synth and reverb. Songs like “Soy Lo Que Soy,” “Elodie” and “Emmène-moi” wove French phrases into hypnotic rhythms, giving their sound an international allure. The crowd swayed and snapped photos, caught between curiosity and full surrender.
As the set deepened into “Mientras Tanto,” the mood turned introspective—lush, melancholic, and cinematic. And song “L’Empire,” exploded in layered harmonies and pulsing basslines, leaving a soft hum in the air long after they left the stage. Los Eclipses aren’t just opening acts—they’re architects of atmosphere, balancing nostalgia and futurism with elegance. Their performance set the perfect tone for the storm of emotion Phantogram was about to unleash.
PHANTOGRAM
When Phantogram took the stage, it felt like stepping into a lucid dream. Sarah Barthel commanded every inch of it—sharp, radiant, and raw—while Joshua Carter sculpted each sound with precise, sonic tension. They began with “Funeral Pyre,” igniting the night in flickering reds and strobes, before dropping into the moody groove of “You Don’t Get Me High.” Each beat reverberated like a heartbeat—distant yet deeply felt.
The crowd erupted when the unmistakable first notes of “Fall In Love” hit, turning the venue into a collective exhale. Barthel’s voice, lush and aching, cut through the darkness like a flare. Between songs, their chemistry was magnetic—playful glances, shared smiles, the kind of unspoken rhythm that comes from years of shared evolution. Later, “You’re Mine” and “Same Old Blues” surged with shadowy energy, while “Black Out Days” sent the audience into pure catharsis.
They closed with “When I’m Small,” the song that started it all—a flash of nostalgia and noise, echoing through a sea of raised hands. Phantogram didn’t just perform; they transcended.
The Art of Duality!
Formed in Greenwich, New York, childhood friends Sarah Barthel and Joshua Carter created Phantogram as an outlet for sound that lived between worlds—where hip-hop beats meet dream-pop melodies, and emotion hides in distortion. Their breakout single “When I’m Small” put them on the map, followed by the hit “Black Out Days,” which turned their moody aesthetic into a global signature. What makes Phantogram unique isn’t just their production—it’s their chemistry.
Barthel’s ethereal vocals and Carter’s gritty guitar work form a perfect tension between light and shadow. Over the years, they’ve evolved from indie darlings into electronic visionaries, crafting songs that feel both confessional and cinematic. Their art is built on contrasts—pain and beauty, intimacy and distance—and that balance keeps them timeless.
By the end of the night, it was clear: Phantogram still occupies a space all their own. Their sound isn’t nostalgic—it’s alive, pulsing with reinvention. In a time when live shows can feel formulaic, theirs was a reminder of the emotional chaos that music can unleash when it’s stripped of pretense and left raw. The Aztec Theatre became a shared heartbeat—a chorus of strangers united by the same shimmer of light and noise.
For Los Eclipses, it was a breakthrough moment; for Phantogram, a triumphant reaffirmation. The night lingered long after the final notes faded, like static on the skin or a half-remembered dream. In the glow of San Antonio’s neon, one truth remained—when music like this takes hold, you don’t just hear it. You feel it
PHANTOGRAM – San Antonio, TX, – 10/06/2025
- Funeral Pyre
- You Don’t Get Me High Anymore
- Fall in Love
- Feedback Invisible
- You’re Mine
- It Wasn’t Meant to Be
- Same Old Blues
- Attaway
- Answer
- Don’t Move
- Ashes
- Happy Again
- In a Spiral
- Cruel World
- Black Out Days
- Let Me Down
- Come Alive
- When I’m Small
