It was a gray day in Brooklyn, as are most drizzly, spring days in New York.
Business carried on as usual, with cabs beeping their horns and subways shaking the underground, however a very "Brooklyn-esque" group of people slowly infiltrated the space surrounding the Barclay's Center. Clad in flannel and beanies and distressed jeans, they began their wait for The 1975 concert. It was Tumblr-postcard-perfect.
I spent my day roaming the surrounding streets, paying too much for a veggie wrap, and ruminating over my previous The 1975 experiences. I realize this is the most stereotypical, cliché thing to say as a young adult who likes art and actually maintains her Tumblr blog, but The 1975 is my favorite band. They are eclectic and stylish and so cool. I've seen them live twice before, and I was thoroughly impressed after both shows. One at a more intimate venue in who-knows-where Pennsylvania, and the other at Terminal 5 in Midtown which was a lot larger. Both shows provided for a really unique sense of togetherness as the audience chanted along with Matty and he pranced around and gave speeches about living retrospectively as he does.
Sitting in a packed Starbucks along with about 25 other young people waiting for the door of the venue to open, all desperate for an electrical outlet, I noticed a bit of a change in the people I was surrounded by compared to the vibe of the crowds that attended shows pre-"I Like it When You Sleep". Sure, the loyal fans remain the same and almost unchanged, however pink and purple garments like shirts and hats on fans appeared where black and white ones used to reside. The outfits changed with the band, as the group shifted their aesthetic from a somber black and white to an effervescent, colorful one. It is this fan dedication that the band likes to touch on when speaking to interviewers about their experience with fame, a point Matty would bring up on stage later that night.
Shortly after, the venue opened its doors and hoards of fans slowly started flooding the seats of the stadium. Misty, purple light emitted from the stage, only a taste of what was to come later in the night. Two opening acts preceded The 1975, both vastly different from one another. The first act was The Japanese House, a band signed under the name label as The 1975 (Dirty Hit Records) that I had only heard of but not listened to. Having not listened to them before, I was very pleasantly surprised. The Japanese House is the beautiful, melodic love child of Imogen Heap and The 1975. They were haunting, ambient, and unique; a definite must-listen. (Some of my favorites by them are Cool Blue, Teeth, and Sister.) The second opening act was another girl-fronted band singed under Dirty Hit called Wolf Alice. I enjoyed them as well, although they were a lot harder and presented a totally different genre than The Japanese House. Through electric guitars and a nostalgic sound, they gave a great performance. (I recommend listening to Bros, Freazy, and Blush.)
The 1975 came out soon after in a flash of electric pink and 80's guitar chords as they opened the show with their lead single Love Me from their second album. Matty vocally delivered and looked totally rock star like he always does breaking out dance moves in old school glasses. Adam and Ross shredded on guitar and bass, John Waugh saxophoned (that's a verb now, you're welcome), but George was out with a broken shoulder. Never the less, his replacement, Dave Elitch of The Mars Volta delivered on drums. The band gave an electric performance the whole night through, but the lighting and stage production was another story. With a different color story for each song, the stage completely radiated neon light, only adding to the already effervescent ambience.
They slowed things down occasionally, playing their slower songs like Me, where prior to the song, Matty talked to the audience about living in the moment and he prompted everyone to put their phones away for the length of the song. He really meant it when he explained the magic of a room of people experiencing the same thing together without interruptions of what may be happening virtually or outside the space. I felt this same magic when he brought their backup gospel vocalists for If You Believe Me. It's an incredibly powerful song, and the performance can only be described as religious, ironic as that seems in conjunction with the song. The band took us back with some of their oldies like So Far (It's Alright) and brought back a taste of their first album with Robbers, Girls, Chocolate, and their finale song Sex, an anthemic encapsulating youth and sex and love - three themes which I feel are the backbone of the band itself.
11/10
Business carried on as usual, with cabs beeping their horns and subways shaking the underground, however a very "Brooklyn-esque" group of people slowly infiltrated the space surrounding the Barclay's Center. Clad in flannel and beanies and distressed jeans, they began their wait for The 1975 concert. It was Tumblr-postcard-perfect.
I spent my day roaming the surrounding streets, paying too much for a veggie wrap, and ruminating over my previous The 1975 experiences. I realize this is the most stereotypical, cliché thing to say as a young adult who likes art and actually maintains her Tumblr blog, but The 1975 is my favorite band. They are eclectic and stylish and so cool. I've seen them live twice before, and I was thoroughly impressed after both shows. One at a more intimate venue in who-knows-where Pennsylvania, and the other at Terminal 5 in Midtown which was a lot larger. Both shows provided for a really unique sense of togetherness as the audience chanted along with Matty and he pranced around and gave speeches about living retrospectively as he does.
Sitting in a packed Starbucks along with about 25 other young people waiting for the door of the venue to open, all desperate for an electrical outlet, I noticed a bit of a change in the people I was surrounded by compared to the vibe of the crowds that attended shows pre-"I Like it When You Sleep". Sure, the loyal fans remain the same and almost unchanged, however pink and purple garments like shirts and hats on fans appeared where black and white ones used to reside. The outfits changed with the band, as the group shifted their aesthetic from a somber black and white to an effervescent, colorful one. It is this fan dedication that the band likes to touch on when speaking to interviewers about their experience with fame, a point Matty would bring up on stage later that night.
Shortly after, the venue opened its doors and hoards of fans slowly started flooding the seats of the stadium. Misty, purple light emitted from the stage, only a taste of what was to come later in the night. Two opening acts preceded The 1975, both vastly different from one another. The first act was The Japanese House, a band signed under the name label as The 1975 (Dirty Hit Records) that I had only heard of but not listened to. Having not listened to them before, I was very pleasantly surprised. The Japanese House is the beautiful, melodic love child of Imogen Heap and The 1975. They were haunting, ambient, and unique; a definite must-listen. (Some of my favorites by them are Cool Blue, Teeth, and Sister.) The second opening act was another girl-fronted band singed under Dirty Hit called Wolf Alice. I enjoyed them as well, although they were a lot harder and presented a totally different genre than The Japanese House. Through electric guitars and a nostalgic sound, they gave a great performance. (I recommend listening to Bros, Freazy, and Blush.)
The 1975 came out soon after in a flash of electric pink and 80's guitar chords as they opened the show with their lead single Love Me from their second album. Matty vocally delivered and looked totally rock star like he always does breaking out dance moves in old school glasses. Adam and Ross shredded on guitar and bass, John Waugh saxophoned (that's a verb now, you're welcome), but George was out with a broken shoulder. Never the less, his replacement, Dave Elitch of The Mars Volta delivered on drums. The band gave an electric performance the whole night through, but the lighting and stage production was another story. With a different color story for each song, the stage completely radiated neon light, only adding to the already effervescent ambience.
They slowed things down occasionally, playing their slower songs like Me, where prior to the song, Matty talked to the audience about living in the moment and he prompted everyone to put their phones away for the length of the song. He really meant it when he explained the magic of a room of people experiencing the same thing together without interruptions of what may be happening virtually or outside the space. I felt this same magic when he brought their backup gospel vocalists for If You Believe Me. It's an incredibly powerful song, and the performance can only be described as religious, ironic as that seems in conjunction with the song. The band took us back with some of their oldies like So Far (It's Alright) and brought back a taste of their first album with Robbers, Girls, Chocolate, and their finale song Sex, an anthemic encapsulating youth and sex and love - three themes which I feel are the backbone of the band itself.
11/10
Comments