Photo Credit: Eric Weiner

Last Friday, the crowd at Glasslands gave Lord Huron (@lordhuron) something they rarely bestow upon the venue’s performers — their full attention. While there was still chatter floating in and out between songs, most everyone seemed thoroughly engaged throughout the entire set, lulled into a happy stupor by songs from  band’s recent release, Lonesome Dreams.

Like their recordings, Lord Huron’s live show is incredibly engrossing. The songs are beautifully transportive, projecting images of western travels and adventure reminiscent of the video for “Time to Run”. Meanwhile, they keep the audience emotionally driven with lyrical themes of love, loss, fear and loneliness, all delivered flawlessly with Benji Schneider’s strong vocals. With minimal banter between songs, the band played more towards the crowd’s desire for an atmosphere of genuine storytelling — a method that certainly seemed to pay off. Not to mention, Schneider, sporting slightly Western garb and a bolo tie, definitely looked the part of his songs’ protagonists.

Weaving together three guitars, bass and inventive percussion, the songs sounded particularly full live, bringing new depth to the unique accents present on the record. The majority of the album shines from its twangy, intricate guitar picking, and the live variation certainly led to a new appreciation for each song’s structure. The backbone of the performance, though, was drummer’s control – subtle or forceful, his playing complimented each track perfectly.

Openers, Night Moves (@nightmovesmpls), began the evening with a refreshingly unique sound. Certain tracks almost seemed like a fuzzed-out variation on twangy motown, and the blend of genres was more than welcome. The two bands will continue touring together for the next week, so be sure to catch them if you’re on the West Coast!

Lord Huron

Night Moves