Glass Animals at 9:30 Club
Glass Animals have but one album (2014’s Zaba) to their name but performed like seasoned veterans of the live music game Wednesday night at the 9:30 Club.As the lights dimmed at 9:10PM sharp, the crowd erupted, thinking the four British rockers everyone came to see were going to emerge in that moment. Though dim lights typically signify the entrance of the main act, Glass Animals took their time, a calculated move that created an air of suspense and excitement throughout the sold out crowd. When the band finally emerged, they won the crowd over thirty seconds into their opening track, “Black Mambo.”
The band’s frontman, Dave Bayley, was studying to become a brain surgeon before Glass Animals took off. But as the singer kicked off his shoes midway through the band’s first song, ripped his jacket off by the third, and jumped down into the crowd by the fourth, it was obvious to me and the rest of the crowd that he had found his calling in Glass Animals.
The highlight of the night was the massive rendition of “Gooey,” during which Bayley jumped off the stage and passionately sang into the faces of the front row. It was obvious that the band, well-aware of this song’s popularity were playing the sh*t out of it and doing it for the sold out crowd assembled before them.
Another highlight and special treat for showgoers that night was the live debut of the band’s freshly released double-cover, “Gold Lime.” The song, released that morning, is a fusion of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Gold Lion” and Erykah Badu’s “The Healer.” The track was well received by the audience though it was obvious not many had heard it prior to the show. As the first of two encore songs, the band performed their bluesy take on Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown,” during which Bayley again jumped off stage to serenade the front row. The band closed out the set on a high note with the hip-shaking track, “Pools.”
The Breakdown:
Crowd: Couples, cool beards, dudes lacking rhythm, dudes with too much rhythm.
Overheard: During “Gold Lime:” “SOUNDS LIKE SNOOP DOGG!”
Banter: “So we hung out with Barack Obama last night, he said he was way too hungover to come to the show.”
Glass Animals have two shows left in the US before heading to Europe but the band returns to finish their last set of shows in support of Zaba this Octoberso make sure you check them out if they are in your city!
View a full list of tour dates here and follow the band on the links below to keep up with all things Glass Animals.