English Indie Rock band, Glass Animals have been touring around the world, promoting the release of their sophomore album, How to Be a Human Being. On their list of venues to hit was a space known to be a challenge to fill; the 3200 capacity room, The Myth Night Club. But for Glass Animals, it wasn’t a challenge at all.
Before sound check had been completed, the Myth was already filling up with fans of all ages waiting to see the English rockers. No opener was announced prior to the show. Our tickets simply said “With Special Guests”, and many were unsure if there would be any kind of opener at all. Then, the East London five-piece, Pumarosa took the floor.
Led by angelic front-woman, Isabel Munoz-Newsome, they fed the crowd a combination of soft sounds, along with a few solid jam sessions before retiring from the stage. The audience was entertained, but it was clear everyone was much more interested in what was to come.
As we waited for Glass Animals to show their faces, “[Premade Sandwiches],” a short, experimental track came over the speakers. The crowd exploded as Glass Animals casually walked onto the stage and into position. The group ripped open their set with arguably their best song from the new album, “Life Itself.” With three band members behind instruments (two synthesizers and a drum set), the task of energizing the crowd fell to lead singer, Dave Bayley.
Not to diminish the enthusiasm of the crowd, but Bayley seemed to be enjoying the performance more than anyone as he controlled the crowd with his hypnotic voice and dance moves. Firing the best bullet in their chamber right off the bat didn’t stop Glass Animals from continuing to electrify the crowd with another track, “Youth.”
About half way through their set, the pace of music slowed and the lights lowered. Glass Animals mesmerized the crowd with their psychedelic pop sounds and colorful light show. Where there was once an electrified crowd, there was now a hypnotized mass of music listeners, following every move of Bayley. A few more songs off of both of their albums were sprinkled in before Glass Animals disappeared from under the lights.
Unrelenting cheers from the crowd brought the group back onto the stage, but Bayley’s footsteps didn’t stop at the edge of the stage. He grabbed his microphone and proceeded to enter the crowd. Picking up right where they left off, the Glass Animals returned with a cover of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown,” much to the delight of the crowd.
They concluded their set with “Pork Soda,” And just when we thought it was over, the guys took the last few minutes of their allotted time to have a freestyle session. Over shouts from the crowd, Glass Animals left as softly as they arrived, however you could still feel their energy that remained, well after they left the stage.
More Photos from the show
