I was sitting in my apartment last night, starting to write some articles when I got an unexpected text from a friend of mine. In an exciting turn of events, I was presented with a ticket to Beach House’s sold out Webster Hall gig. Unbeknownst to me, I had also landed a super sweet VIP pass. And so the madness began.
San Fran five-piece, Papercuts, started the night off with a mix of old and new, including tracks from their upcoming LP, Fading Parade, which drops on March 1. Malcolm Pullinger and company delivered their simplistic blend of laid back indie dream pop with ease throughout the entirety of their set. Past touring stints with Grizzly Bear, Camera Obscura, and Vetiver have clearly made an impact on this crew; they’re incredibly poised, and offered up a live performance that bested any of their studio recordings.
After a brief break in the music, the lights dimmed and Victoria Legrand, Alex Scally, and Daniel Franz took the stage. From the first note, Beach House seemed to hypnotize the crowd. Up in the VIP section (what! what!), people without a clear view hopped up on chairs to catch of glimpse of the enchanting Legrand as she fist pumped and hair whipped her way into our hearts.
Their set was epic in every sense of the word. A 13 song setlist accompanied by a 2 song encore of “Real Love” and “10 Mile Stereo”. My personal fave, “Zebra” was just perfect. The shoeless Scally charmed the audience with his alluring guitar melodies and skillful bass duties via foot pedal. Percussion was tasked by Franz, who did everything and anything I could have hoped for. Standing on my chair towards the back of Webster, I was dialed into his precise cymbal crashes and thumping kick drum.
Though Beach House was in New York this past summer, last night’s show at Webster Hall was my first ever live experience. Their hype is clearly well-deserved; their live show being one of the most gripping performances I’ve ever witnessed. They’re still on tour, so check them out if they’re coming to your city.
February 24 — Philadelphia, PA — Trocadero Theatre
February 24 — Washington DC — 9:30 Club
May 27-30 — George, Washington — Sasquatch Music Festival
