Preston Barta // Features Editor
A venue of college students and other prodigious fans descended upon Dallas’ South Side Music Hall last night for the Twin Shadow and LANY concert. Tight jeans, v-necks and hats seemed to be the wardrobe of choice on the breezy evening, and it ran through the audience like spilt PBR. The crowd waited patiently for the concert hall’s doors to open— and as soon as they did, the enthusiastic fans stormed in to purchase the latest merchandise and scout out a good spot to see their favorite alt-pop rockers.
Before Twin Shadow took the stage, the show kicked off with an arresting opening act from electronic band LANY, sounding like a mix between R&B and dream pop. The dynamic trio provided a more-than satisfying performance, with clapping, hand holding and crowd interaction, giving shout-outs to fans who lined up for the concert earlier that day. LANY is a band to watch, as they are soon to grow with wild popularity. You might hear their hit-track “ILYSB,” otherwise known as “I Love You So Bad” sometime soon, whether it’s at a coffee shop, on a movie soundtrack, or the radio– you’ll love it.
When Twin Shadow eventually came out, they gave the crowd a performance worthy of their time and money. The four-piece band started with a crowd favorite, “Forget,” a track off their debut album (2010) of the same name. The song had the audience hooked right out of the gates, as tubular beats filled the venue, while flashing lights, swaying devotees and thick clouds of smoke accompanied the band’s live show.
Also, check out our interview with Twin Shadow here
Perhaps the most striking aspect of their performance was their improvisation and deviation from their recorded sound, especially during “Golden Light,” which they put their own remix spin on. These mixes threw audiences for a loop, but it left them eager for more.
Their 14-song set was a mix of tracks mainly between their first album and their most recent Eclipse. They played popular hits such as “On the Top,” “Old Love/New Love” (where lead singer Paul Klein of LANY came out and did a duet for) and “Five Seconds,” from their critically acclaimed sophomore album, Confess (2012).
At the end of the show, after their entrancing encore songs, “Littlest Things” (a track off their Night Rally exclusive mix tape) and “Flatliners,” frontman George Lewis Jr. thanked the crowd for being a loving, vigorous audience. He even stuck around after the show to do a meet and greet with the fans at the merch table.
“One of my fondest memories was three years ago when I rented a motorcycle and rode around for a few days just in Dallas,” Lewis Jr. said. “It’s a special place, and I appreciate you guys.”
However, based on their performance that carried a thunderous applause long after the show closed the curtain, the pleasure was all Dallas’.
Twin Shadow is finishing up their Night Rally Tour, landing in Houston tonight for Untapped.
