Beach House @ The Bowery Ballroom, 5/15/12

The Bowery Ballroom is surprisingly small, holding only 500 people – and on Tuesday night it held 500 of Beach House’s biggest fans. I left work early to catch the train up to New York, stopped for a quick bite to eat in SoHo, and walked over to the Bowery where Beach House would be playing a sold out show on the same day they dropped their latest album Bloom.

The anticipation in the air was heavy. Tickets were hard to come by – the show sold out in mere seconds. A line of dejected fans without tickets stretched from the doorway down to the street corner, hoping they’d be let in if the venue didn’t fill up (it did). We got there pretty early to get a good spot, but so did about 200 other fans who huddled closely around the stage. The opening act, Zomes with Hanna Olivegren, wasn’t bad – but it was clear that everyone in the room was there for Beach House.

The crowd’s cheers when the lights dimmed and the band walked out quickly hushed as the opening notes of “Wild” off the new album began. The room was pitch dark save for a few spotlights, and Legrand’s silhouette flickered in and out of sight as her voice drifted through heavy fog, intermingling with her cascading keys and Scally’s shimmering guitar. When you see the intensity with which they deliver their music it becomes clear why they are so loved. Dreamy, airy ballads take over the room with their power, captivating the crowd that I think actually had more males in it than females – the two dudes behind me went so far as to call Beach House “their Led Zeppelin.” Agree or disagree, this is a band whose talent is undeniable.

Maybe it was the fact that it was New York, maybe it’s because their album came out that day, maybe it was just something in the air, but I think it’s safe to say that everyone who was present in the Bowery Ballroom last night left feeling like they were a part of something very special.

Setlist: Wild/Walk in the Park/Norway/Other People/Lazuli/Gila/Equal Mind/The Hours/Silver Soul/New Year/Zebra/Wishes/Take Care/Myth Encore: Turtle Island/10 Mile Stereo/Irene

Here’s a photo diary of the night!

Photos by Julia.

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11 years ago

Growing up in NY I went to the Bowery all the time, it’s my favorite place to see a show… so many great memories http://myheartsbeat.blogspot.com/