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whatthehellishappening? Encore: EYEDRESS SETLIST Can I See You Tonight? BLONDSHELL SETLIST Veronica Mars GLASS ANIMALS TOUR DATES SEP 01 Walmart AMP Rogers, AR Read More
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“I'm so alive, I love this so much that I could cry, I'm so happy, this is just where I wanna be” – Glass Animals, “whatthehellishappening?”
Exactly what the hell was happening was Oxford UK alt-rock quartet Glass Animals returning to the city that initially helped put them on the map, Kansas City, playing a jubilant and riotously fun outdoor show at Azura Amphitheater in suburban Bonner Springs.
The band had played the same venue in 2021, selling it out per usual, with memories of an insane “small club, big band” show at recordBar, the year before still burning strong. KC is near and dear to their hearts, both for their start into the limelight and for the fans’ continued support.
Proof of that happened this April 1st when they snuck into town (on April Fool's Day, which added to the disbelief) to preview unheard music from the new record, “I Love You So F…...Much” which came out in July on Polydor Records, and which we think is their most realized effort to date.
They continue to love KC, and KC loves them back and we’ve been fortunate enough to cover them very regularly for the last decade, since renowned DJ Steve Lamacq first tipped us off to the band personally at SXSW.
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The strong three-act bill began slightly earlier than first posted, with a half-hour opening set from LA (by way of NYC) indie rock musician Blondshell (aka Sabrina Teitelbaum) and her band, in support of last year’s self-titled full-length (via Partisan Records) and recent non-LP singles, "What's Fair" and “Docket” which features similar musical partner, Bully.
Teitelbaum’s musical debut as Blondshell is only two years in the past, but we’ve paid early and constant attention ever since; first seeing the group headline live last July in Minneapolis, followed by bigger rooms opening for Liz Phair that same Fall. There’s a musical kinship with Phair (as well as with Veruca Salt, PJ Harvey, and Throwing Muses) that both echoes a 90’s-era bravado and a confident coolness in putting their own modern twist on songs.
The set began with “Veronica Mars”, which is a direct reference to the twenty-year old cult classic TV series and found Teitelbaum’s vocals moving from devil-may-care narration to a roof-raising scream, that showed the range of her voice. “Sepsis” was about still knowingly being with the wrong guy and the confessional lyrics got deeper as the set progressed, such as the unfulfilled emotions that fill the quiet-loud of “Kiss City”.
And while the set-closing “Salad” which imagines a vengeful fate for an abuser, might not be the cheeriest send-off song, the impact of the music and the openness of the lyrics, had Blondshell gain plenty of new fans.
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Technical issues unfortunately delayed the start of Eyedress’ (aka Idris Vicuña and band) scheduled set, perhaps unsettling the group and resulting in a slightly shorter performance, in support of new album, “Vampire in Beverly Hills” (out on RCA/Sony Records).
The LA (via Manila and Phoenix) bedroom pop artist and five-piece band embodied the label of alt-shoegaze musicians, as all kept playing in place with mostly heads down, so we seemed to get a better view of Vicuña’s yellow ‘Home Alone’ movie baseball cap, than of his actual face.
That said, the music itself was dreamy and melodic, with Vicuña’s vocals often drawing out lyrics in a swooning rhythm, similar to Morrissey in delivery. The set would end with the upbeat, “Toxic Masculinity” from 2018, but also finished somewhat abruptly as they were out of time and unable to work in their expected last song. We hope they can return soon to a small club with a longer set and hopefully less distractions.
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When a backstage crew member appeared to place a pineapple under a spotlight on a rock formation decor, the many faithful knew Glass Animals would be soon to emerge and roared back in response.
Lights dimmed and screens lit up to show a high-pitched conversation from space between two celestial bodies, giving way to the start of their 1hr45min. set on a spacious stage that resembled the bridge of an intergalactic vehicle with eight control monitor screens per side, traveling through the galaxies.
Singer Dave Bayley was his normal frantic self, never standing still and beaming as he announced mid-song, “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time…. we’re reunited with our favorite city!” to sustained cheers. 2016 radio hit, “Life Itself” was next, ensuring the dancing and singing would continue with energy.
“Space Ghost Coast to Coast” was the first song entry from their previous “Dreamland” album which catapulted the band to a level in the rest of the world, that Kansas City already had them at.
Bayley has mentioned that the new record’s lead single, “Creatures in Heaven” is about "a moment in time... having the capacity to be enormously formative and life changing." That was the case live as well, as the tens of thousands lifted their illuminated phones (and sine glow sticks) in the air to brighten the late summer horizon.
For the new “Lost in the Ocean” Bayley literally rose above it all, elevating to near the top of the lighting truss, and early hit “Gooey” found the singer running out into the crowd, to sing of those “peanut butter vibes” amongst the fans in the back grass area.
Speaking of lightning, the band pulled out all stops and topped itself by adding a bevy of lasers to their show, that impressively flashed and beamed in multi-directions from their rear stage positions. The opening track from the new record, “Show Pony” is another melodic earworm, destined for radio dials, and Bayley had everyone in the crowd running in place as the beats per minute for “On the Run” kept increasing as the song progressed.
The band’s collab with Denzel Curry, “Tokyo Drifting” found everyone getting down during the rap break, including Bayley, and enough can’t be said about the other three members, Andrew MacFarlane, Ed Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward, who provide the musical glue that enhances Bayley’s vision, to provide the cohesive picture, that the complete band is.
The familiar instrumentation of “Pork Soda” which ended the main set on a dancing high note with its “pineapples are in my head” lyrics, also meant a lucky recipient was soon to receive the fabled stage fruit, and the band would bow and say good night.
With a certain mega-hit not yet played, everyone knew an encore was inevitable, and it began with 2016’s “The Other Side of Paradise”, a somewhat tragic tale of the futility of chasing success and the disillusionment when that degree doesn’t happen, but the crowd mood remained joyous in lieu of the lyrics.
“I’m speechless...every time we come to this city, it’s just another level!” Bayley enthused before the closing “Heat Waves”; a song now over four years old, that’s still played so frequently in local radio rotations, you'd think it came out last week. KC’s devotion was maybe best evidenced at the last, when the audience collectively sang the song's chorus back louder, as a sort of vocal love letter between city and band.
Another triumphant return for Glass Animals on their “Tour of Earth” to the city so near and dear to their hearts and to again be received as excitedly here, as in few other places- dare we say the evening and experience was “Out of this World?!” … yeah, we’ll confirm that’s what the hell was happening!
GLASS ANIMALS at Azura Amphitheater, Bonner Springs KS (2024-08-31)
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EYEDRESS at Azura Amphitheater, Bonner Springs KS (2024-08-31)
BLONDSHELL at Azura Amphitheater, Bonner Springs KS (2024-08-31)
| John C ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥X / twitter.com ♥ bsky.ap |
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