Twilight Sleep
The first band to take the stage was Los Angeles’ own Twilight Sleep. Their contribution to the night was moody, noisy pop backlit with blues and purples to set the mood. “Broken Record” stood out as a leading track for the band, as if Silversun Pickups paired with White Sea’s synth. Their aesthetic certainly translated well live, with the front woman sporting a hood and a slinking around stage.
Sleeper Agent
Sleeper Agent took the stage next and looked much younger than their songs let on. They had to prove themselves to the rest of the audience, but already being a fan I got to sit back and enjoy. They opened with the noisy and riotous “Sugar Cane” and singers Alex and Tony dominated the stage along with the rest of the sextet. “Get It Daddy” was a stand-out of the set and by the time time they played it, the audience had started to warm to the garage pop dominating the Music Box. They kicked ass, took names, and certainly won over many of the Manchester Orchestra fans. They put on a show that lived up to their album Celabrasion and I cannot wait to see more from this band. (Check out more in my interview with the band).
Manchester Orchestra
The headliner began quietly, opening to a near-black stage. Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra was illuminated as they opened with the title track of their newest album “Simple Math.” With full power behind each note, Manchester Orchestra spoke little, letting the music say everything. They played a brand new minute-and-a-half song “Bananas” along with “100 Dollars,” “Mean Everything to Nothing,” “Virgins,” “The Only One” and “Pitsacola” (which he seemed surprised that the crowd liked) among many many others. They played a perfect balance of new and old tracks and the whole audience seemed to know the words to every one. Somehow Manchester is a band that has managed to retain their cool factor as they’ve gotten bigger and they draw in fans from all walks of life. Being a part of that crowd was quite an honor.
As the band wrapped their set, after so few words between songs, Hull hushed the whole crowd (very adamantly) and gave the most sincere thank you I’ve ever heard from a rock band, thanking the fans for their support in seeing the show. The band closed with “Now That You’re Home” from Like a Virgin Losing a Child and it was clear that the music means everything to Manchester Orchestra. And that’s why the music means so much to so many people.
