When talking about the inspiration for The New Magnetic Wonder in a recent interview with the Onion AV Club, Robert Schneider of The Apples In Stereo cites Brian Wilson’s Smile, “I realized that the whole genre of baroque pop has just barely started. I believe that Smile is the most perfect example ever made of psychedelic pop, and it came out two or three years ago, not 1967. The whole genre seemed new to me all of a sudden.”

Reading that prior to attending last night’s highly energetic, well attended, and enthusiastically embraced performance at the High Noon Saloon convinced me that what he told the Onion AV Club was the truth.

The New Magnetic Wonder is an album by a band succeeding in stepping out of their shadow, whether it is intentional or not doesn’t really matter, because it works. In terms of live performances, last night was nothing out of the ordinary for regular fans of The Apples In Stereo. What their latest album has allowed for is the welcoming of new fans that were previously somewhat cooled by their previous efforts, myself included, and given us melodies and quick pop songs that we’re still humming long after the band left town.

It’s always refreshing when a band can merge their existing fan base with “outsiders” with the release of a single record. Sticking with their most recent material for the majority of the evening, and overcoming some initial technical difficulties, The Apples In Stereo provided over an hour’s worth of enjoyable and high energy pop music that channeled the Beatles and even Brian Wilson himself (take a listen to “The Sun Is Out”).

As someone who has never been a huge fan of the band going into the evening, I can say that I came away supremely impressed and am sure it will affect the amount of plays I give their latest album as well. There has been a lot of other folks who weighed in on the show, which have been conveniently gathered up for you at Dane101.com, and I think the Daily Page review summarizes the evening as perfectly as my memory ever could.

Myspace: The Apples In Stereo
Related: Pitchfork Review of The New Magnetic Wonder [6.9]
Youtube: The Apples In Stereo – Energy