Touring the country in celebration of their upcoming album, Alpha Zulu, the French indie group Phoenix delivered an unforgettable performance at the Ryman Auditorium, leaving everyone in the audience absolutely mesmerized not only by their showmanship, but also by their incredible production. This four-piece band, whose members have remained unchanged since it's formation in 1995, had major success in 2009 with their fourth album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, with singles such as "1901" and "Lisztomania," that shot them into the spotlight that eventually led them to Nashville's historic venue. 

Stepping onto stage, the band was lit from behind by a vibrant, larger than life LED screen. The effect was nothing short of mesmerizing, and seamlessly transitioned between strobes, patterns, and recreations of European halls and museums, an artistic nod to where their journey began while completely immersing the audience in their performance. Looking around at the faces surrounding me, I could not remember a time where anyone's eyes came unglued to the ensemble taking over the stage that night. 

The show began with one of the band's biggest hits, "Lisztomania" and continued on with energetic melodies, keeping the crowd immersed in the moment until after their encore. The excitement grew mid-set with the album's namesake, Alpha Zulu, featuring a more poppy, experimental sound. Once their set was finished and Phoenix left the stage, it seemed as if no one in the crowd moved, anticipating an encore. And encore they got, one that was absolutely worth waiting for. This four-song encore featured another fan-favorite from the album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, "1901." By the end of the night as the crowd filed out of the auditorium and into the city, I was itching for another performance in my near future.