Phoenix must be a sucker for surprises. The group's first show in Kansas City — a secret MySpace show, held at RecordBar — was a crowded, sweaty mess. And the French pop act's sold-out gig at the Uptown Theater last spring was just as packed. Given the band's catchy melodies, that's no surprise. What was unexpected was the opening act for the second date. Two Door Cinema Club, the original support, missed a flight because of the Icelandic volcano named like a Sigur Rós song. (It's called Eyjafjallajökull.) That's why Steve Tulipana received a last-minute text message asking his band, local heroes Roman Numerals, to fill in. "How could we say no?" Tulipana asked later that night, as his voice echoed through the 2,500-capacity Uptown. Roman Numerals' excitement showed. Dynamic, cavernous and ominous, Roman Numerals' new-wave space rock kicked just as much ass as we always knew it could.
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