Sunday 27/11/09 Julian Plenti @ First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia

First Unitarian Church, arguably Philadelphia's most unusual venue, was the last stop on the American leg of the Julian Plenti tour. A small but enthusiastic crowd crammed into the tiny basement gig space for a set that included both the softly introspective and angularly uptempo tracks from debut album,  'Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper'. The music, Interpol frontman Paul Banks' solo project, diverges from the New York band substantially while maintaining enough familiar hints of Banks' more famous band to keep fans happy. Those in attendance also enjoyed the chance to see the singer in a much smaller venue than Interpol gigs would allow.

With only one album to draw from, Banks and his band played it almost in full, beginning with some gentler tracks and working up to more dramatic ones like 'Fun That We Have'. Standouts included soft, dark 'On The Esplanade' and  'Only If You Run', along with Interpol-channeling 'Girl On The Sporting News' and an unexpected snippet of 'Let It Snow' in honour of the beginning of America's post-Thanksgiving Christmas season. The encore included a well-executed cover of America's 'A Horse With No Name 'and closed with lead single 'Games For Days', one of the most dynamic tracks of the night.

First Unitarian is one of my favourite venues because it provides an opportunity to see great bands in a remarkably intimate space; gigs are held in the church basement or occasionally in the sanctuary itself. Banks and his band are well-suited to smaller gigs; the Julian Plenti sound isn't as cavernous and cold as Interpol and Banks' voice changes and modulates slightly, becoming less monotone, to suit the musical differences.

Though it's technically a solo project, the band is an integral part of the performance, particularly the standout guitarist whose sharp playing enlivens many of the songs. Everyone seemed to be having a great time on stage and in the crowd; another facet of First Uni is that it tends to draw an enthusiastic, musically well-informed audience. Banks seemed pleased and surprised by the warm welcome for his new music; this week he takes his show off for a short set of gigs in Europe that are well worth attending.