Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2013
Going to see Beach House live could be considered a risk. For those not familiar with the Baltimore duo, their sound is heavy on synth and slide guitar with large doses of reverb—the kind of music usually enjoyed by putting on headphones and tripping out on a shag rug. How would it be to see the band live in the usually jumping Liquidroom with a thousand other fans?
Before the main act started their show, the crowd was treated to an opening act by solo artist, Dustin Wong. The Chinese/American, who grew up in Japan, entranced the audience with his experimental guitar and sampler. He masterfully built layer after layer and tore them down, and if we didn’t see it with our own eyes, we wouldn’t have believed he only had a single instrument. Wong created percussion, bass and keyboard sounds in addition to a electric guitar. The performance climaxed when he took to the mic and sang (screamed) out the final number. The show was off to a great start.
After a mandatory beer break, Beach House took to the stage and jumped into crowd favorites mostly from their latest album, Bloom (2012) and the previous LP, Teen Dream (2010). The live renditions were warm and dreamy, and the addition of a drummer made the sound even fuller than the recorded music. The visuals also matched the vibe with psychedelic lighting on backdrops of hanging-string sculptures, but the stage was noticeably dark. During one break, a disappointed fan shouted “Why are you hiding?”—clearly hoping to catch a glimpse of Victoria Legrand (vocals and keybords) or Alex Scally (guitar). In the next break an emphatic response came from Legrand. “We are not hiding, we are giving you all love!”
The band continued to perform fan favorites such as “Lazuli,” “Myth,” and “Zebra” to the punters’ delight. There were a few girls on the outer edges of the crowd dancing with arms extended, airplane-style, but most of the audience were simply bobbing their heads and swaying their bodies to the magnetic sounds.
Those who came in search of a booty-shaking, sweat-inducing concert will have left disappointed. But for those keen on letting their minds travel euphorically, we’d say they got what they bargained for, and more, in the shape of opening act Dustin Wong.
