A one-man pop machine, Penguin Prison basks in the spotlight while energizing The Independent

Photo by Shane Killian // Written by Nik Crossman //

Penguin Prison (Live) //
The Independent – San Francisco
July 23rd, 2015 //

Better known under the alias Penguin Prison, this Upper East Side New Yorker-turned-producer, remix artist, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist began his musical journey at age 10 when he sung alongside Alicia Keys in their school’s gospel choir.

Continuing to pursue the spotlight, Chris Glover joined a punk band in high school and formed a boy band in college named The Smartest People at Bard. Glover’s relentlessness, surpassed only by the whim of his journey, finally paid off in 2009 when Neon Gold Records released Penguin Prison’s Animal Animal/A Funny Thing EP.

After making a name for himself as a synthpop wunderkind from New York, Glover released a self-titled, full-length album in 2011 and proceeded to demonstrate his musical prowess by producing remixes for Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons, Marina & The Diamonds and more. He dropped Penguin Prison’s second and latest album Lost in New York in early May.

Last Thursday, Glover basked in the spotlight once again with a rare, live performance at The Independent. Accompanied by a full band wearing all black, Glover stood out in a plain white tee, white jeans, white mic and white guitar. The tireless stage presence of this electropop enthusiast lit up the sold-out crowd, even during his more mellow tracks like “Caught in a Daze”.

Balancing the old with the new, Glover played songs from his full discography and engaged his adoring fans. While Lost in New York is only two months old, the crowd absorbed the easy-to-digest, catchy arrangements as though they’ve been radio hits for years.

When Penguin Prison finally wound down the dance-filled evening, Glover donned his sweat-drenched uniform of white as proof of a lively performance. Despite his exhaustion, Glover hopped down from the stage after the show to connect with his fans, take pictures and shake hands with anyone who wanted to meet this multi-talented, one-man pop machine.

Setlist:
Calling Out
Never Gets Old
Golden Train
The Worse It Gets
Try to Lose
A Funny Thing
Caught in a Daze
Show Me the Way
Laughing at the Floor
Hollywood
All Night Long (Lionel Richie cover)
Don’t Fuck With My Money

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