Passion Pit at The Truman in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday, June 20, 2026. [Photo credit: AlexGryczanowski]

ALEX GRYCZANOWSKI | Go Venue Magazine

It’s been over a decade since Passion Pit paid a visit to Kansas City, and it was long overdue. The band made their grand return to the city and their debut at The Truman on June 20. Alternative pop artist Arden Jones opened for them.

Passion Pit has not released an album since 2017’s Tremendous Sea of Love. Now, the band is on the road for their Pretty Penny tour, promoting their upcoming EP, “Pretty Penny.”

Passion Pit is the solo project of frontman and keyboardist Michael Angelakos. However, as a touring group, the band consists of Giuliano Pizzulo, Eric Scullin, Ben Barter and Denzel Cox.

Arden Jones performed a quick, lively set before Passion Pit took the stage. He played a variety of his original music and also included a cover of “1901” by Phoenix.

Jones’ performance was nothing short of entertaining. He was the perfect opener for Passion Pit, with a synthy, upbeat sound that matched Passion Pit’s sound. Jones said the last song he performed, “someone new,” changed his life. The song went viral on TikTok following its release.

Passion Pit took the stage after Jones performed and kicked off their set with “The Reeling.” “The Reeling” was the perfect song to open the night, with its long instrumental buildup and nostalgic feel. The song is from the band’s debut album, “Manners.”

Unfortunately, about halfway through “The Reeling,” Angelakos’s voice gave out. Angelakos struggled to hit some of the higher notes in the song, leading him to sing an octave lower. Angelakos apologized after the song, since it happened unexpectedly. The audience offered their support, and one fan held out a cough drop to help soothe Angelakos’s voice. A crewmember brought out a cup of tea for Angelakos, which helped him, but throughout the set, there were moments where his voice seemed to give out again.

Despite Angelakos’ vocal challenges, the band’s synth-heavy arrangements carried the energy throughout the rest of their performance. It only made sense for there to be numerous keyboards across the stage to channel the amount of synth in Passion Pit’s music. The stage’s setup perfectly matched their instruments. Angelakos and Pizzulo took center stage, with their keyboards back-to-back, and behind them were more keyboardists and a drummer.

Passion Pit performed indie classics like “Sleepyhead,” “Take A Walk” and “Carried Away.” The entire audience danced and sang along, and each song garnered loud cheers at its beginning and end.

Overall, Passion Pit’s performance was incredibly nostalgic and felt as though the attendees were transported back to the 2010s. Passion Pit will be on tour until August 19, and their upcoming show dates can be found on their website.

Passion Pit Arden Jones All images © Alex Gryczanowski

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