Rooftop rumbles to sounds of Noble Bodies, Pinguin Mofex
Noble Bodies' Elaine Bradley screams as she plays during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show on Aug. 3, 2019.
Noble Bodies' Elaine Bradley, left, and Pingiun Mofex's Nate Pyfer, right, gesture to the crowd to pump them up during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show on Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Noble Bodies' Elaine Bradley, right, sings with Bryce Taylor during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo.
Pingiun Mofex performs in boxing warmups during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Hannah Simpson, of Alpine, sings into a promotional Entrata glow stick as Lantern by Sea performs during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Lantern by Sea lead vocalist Porter Smith sings during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Lantern by Sea will perform at Velour Live Music Gallery's "13-Year Anniversary Show" on Saturday.
James Breme, of East Mesa, Arizona, but rents a home in Utah during the summer, takes a drink before the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
An event staff member looks about from the pit before the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Lantern by Sea drummer Tate Smith plays during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Lantern by Sea will perform at Velour Live Music Gallery's "13-Year Anniversary Show" on Saturday.
Lantern by Sea performs during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show on Aug. 3 in downtown Provo. Lantern by Sea will perform at Velour Live Music Gallery's "13-Year Anniversary Show" on Saturday.
Lantern by Sea bassist Dalan Davenport plays during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Lantern by Sea will perform at Velour Live Music Gallery's "13-Year Anniversary Show" on Saturday.
Noble Bodies' Elaine Bradley, left, and Pingiun Mofex's Nate Pyfer stare each other down during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Pingiun Mofex's Nate Pyfer sings during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Pinguin Mofex will perform at Velour Live Music Gallery's "13-Year Anniversary Show" on Friday.
Scott Robison holds Audrey McIntire, both of Provo, as they listen to Lantern by Sea perform during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Pingiun Mofex's Johnny Steed throws candy to the crowd between songs during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Elizabeth Cook, of Provo, snags a shirt thrown from the stage by a promoter during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Noble Bodies' Elaine Bradley prepares to play during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo.
Noble Bodies' Elaine Bradley cheers as Klint Brearton, of Springville and a friend of the band, gestures to the crowd while dressed as a referee during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Noble Bodies' Bryce Taylor sings during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo.
Pingiun Mofex performs during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Pinguin Mofex will perform at Velour Live Music Gallery's "13-Year Anniversary Show" on Friday.
Noble Bodies' Elaine Bradley plays during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Pingiun Mofex performs during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show on Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Pinguin Mofex will perform at Velour Live Music Gallery's "13-Year Anniversary Show" on Friday.
Noble Bodies' Bryce Taylor performs during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo.
Erica Keele looks to Austin Barlow, both of Orem, as they stand together before the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Hailey Corbett, of Provo, listens to Noble Bodies perform during the Rooftop Concert Series' battle-of-the-bands style show Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in downtown Provo. Local band Lantern by Sea took to the stage before Provo bands Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex faced off. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Let’s call it a split decision.
Billed as a showdown between Noble Bodies and Pinguin Mofex, both bands retired to their corners at the end of Friday’s Rooftop Concert Series as winners in their own right — having been able to showcase their disparate musical styles in front of a wider audience.
The Rooftop Concert Series put a new spin on its typical proceedings by not featuring one true headliner, instead having the two Provo-based bands alternate their time on stage in a series of three rounds.
Both bands played into the title fight angle, complete with a “Let’s get ready to rumble” intro and emcees acting as comedic fight analysts between rounds. It made for a fun approach, even if the event was just as much a real competition as the concert series is, well, actually held on a rooftop.
Pinguin Mofex seemed the looser of the two contenders, taking the party from the stage literally to the streets as frontman Nate Pyfer jumped into the crowd with a megaphone during the band’s final song — eventually crowd surfing back over the barrier into the pit in front of the stage. The band fostered a Pavlovian response with the audience, rewarding between-song cheers with handfuls of candy.
Pinguin Mofex was a fun watch, as seven musicians in a constant state of motion filled the stage, deploying a merry-go-round of vocal prowess, especially from guitarists Pyfer, Johnny Steed and Kathleen Frewin. The band’s main objective seemed to be a more-the-merrier, we’re-all-having-a-blast-up-here kind of vibe.
In direct contrast, Noble Bodies, as a trio, presented the more polished and serious set — well, at least as serious as three people in skin-tight body suits (as they donned in Round 3) can be. Guitarist Bryce Taylor and drummer Elaine Bradley (of Neon Trees fame) mostly doubled up on vocals, providing a rich texture on songs like “What a World,” “Take Me Down” and “You Know What I Was When You Picked Me Up.”
Bradley and Taylor switched instruments up for two songs, and Bradley reeled off an inspired guitar solo in one of them — with some audience members serving as dancers on stage having to keep a careful eye to avoid the headstock of her guitar on a few occasions.
In the end, both bands took the stage together, thanking each other and the crowd for a great evening.
Lantern by Sea provided the undercard on Friday. The Cedar Hills band played six songs in a promising 30-minute set. Two songs especially stood out, “Temple on Fire” and a tune that was still officially untitled as of a YouTube clip from earlier this year under the name of “Old New Song.”
The final Rooftop show of the season will take place on Sept. 7. That will be the Rooftop Concert Series’ annual tribute show, and co-founder Sarah Wiley announced Friday that it will take on the theme of 1994 Mix Tape. Mindy Gledhill will open the show.