On first, or even fiftieth listen, Phoenix may not strike you as a band that could whip a sold-out crowd into a frenzy, but that’s exactly what they did last night in Philly. Simply put, they killed it. (Full review, photos and setlist after the jump)

The Franz Liszt-inspired “Lisztomania” kicked off the hour-and-a-half energetic set, and from there these humble and exhuberant fellows, especially lead singer Thomas Mars, rifled through a perfect mix of old and new tunes ranging from the ’80s decadence of “Too Young” to the rousing anthem “Consolation Prizes”. It was essentially non-stop pop adrenaline, until Mars and guitarist Christian Mazzalai performed an intimate and memorable version of Air’s “Playground Love” during the show’s only encore.

As for the finale, the band played it smart and saved the best for last. Just seconds into the electro-pop gem”1901″, the crowd lit up like the pin-striped neon lights that illuminated the stage. The roar rivaled the song’s sonic buzz and the room was instantly electrified, especially when Mars made his way into the audience and joined the ground-swell. As far as the fans were concerned, Phoenix could have kept on playing it and they would have kept on dancing.

(Photos by Andrew Reyna)

Set list:

Lisztomania
Long Distance Call
Lasso
Run Run Run
Fences
Girlfriend
Armistice
Love Like a Sunset Part I
Love Like a Sunset Part II
Too Young
Rally
Consolation Prizes
Rome/Funky Squaredance

Encore:
Playground Love (Air cover)
If I Ever Feel Better
1901