It was replicated beautifully live, as listeners took in the atmosphere at The Triple Door.

“December” from 2012’s Negotiations does this so well. This new song explored that, with the chorus proclaiming, “Got my redemption and my release, now I can’t be bothered with reality.” So many of their songs are about the catharsis of reflecting on the past, when a little distance can give you a ton of perspective.

Many of their songs deal with loss and moving on, dipping into surreal states of mind to adjust to new truths. They debuted the acoustic version of “Stoic Resemblance,” joking that they didn’t even give the crowd a chance to learn the original. Their sixth full-length album The Helio Sequence is slated for release in mid-May, and they shared new songs, many of which exemplified their penchant for melancholic nostalgia. It was the perfect setting for the duo to share something special with their Seattle fan base – a large one since joining Sub Pop after 2004’s Love and Distance. The crowd hung on every word, charmed and laughing after each friendly joke. Summers’ vocals delivered beautiful, clear notes, while his banter between songs was soothing and familiar. Weikel jammed away on the drums with a huge smile, keeping a steady but complicated beat. The band have a lovely, comfortable presence on stage. Summers said playfully into the mic, “That was the drop-C- sharp version.” As they started the song Tuesday night, they abruptly paused to re-tune. Summers said sheepishly that he and drummer Benjamin Weikel had accepted the gig before preparing any acoustic material, scrambling at the last minute. This involved drastic changes to many songs, including changing “Can’t Say No,” from 2008’s Keep Your Eyes Ahead to drop-C tuning. They’d been asked to play in an old church before, and the promoter at the time (oblivious to what their albums sounded like) had warned them that the space had very fragile old walls and stained glass windows. For those who expected their usual high energy performances, singer/guitarist Brandon Summers explained that they wanted to share an acoustic set they’d created for a previous gig. Helio Sequence played a sold out show at The Triple Door on March 31, 2015.

The Helio Sequence at The Triple Door (Photo by Victoria Holt)

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