With the stress of getting into rhythm this semester with classes and activities, most students have been too busy or too exhausted to really enjoy themselves so far — or at least that’s how it’s been for me. Therefore, when I heard that Young the Giant was playing at The Blue Note this past Sunday, I was ecstatic. I’ve been a fan of the band since around 2014 and seen them twice already, so I was really looking forward to this concert.
Formed in about 2004, Young the Giant is an alternative/indie rock band from Irvine, California. Since kicking it off on Oct. 25 of last year, the band and their opening act, Sure Sure, are on week 12 of their 2019 Mirror Master Tour. In my opinion, if the rest of their tour went as well as their show at The Blue Note, it’s been a pretty successful and lively tour.
The night of the show, The Blue Note opened its doors to a huge crowd at 7 p.m., and by the time the show started at 8 p.m., the small venue was completely packed. The lights dimmed down, the crowd was bustling and suddenly, Sure Sure was on stage and ready to go. Not having checked who the opening act was, I had no idea who the people onstage were, but I’m always open to new artists and I was excited to hear them for the first time.
Truly, they did not disappoint, as their colorful songs were enjoyable to hear. Their sound reminds me of ice cream on a hot summer day, as their music is mellow yet cheerful at the same time. I also thought it was interesting how they used some kind of shaker, like a maraca or something, in each song, as I don’t think it’s something you see a lot. I truly was enthralled by Sure Sure’s spirited performance and have decided to start listening to their music more often.
After the opening act, I admit there was a bit of confusion — half an hour or so had passed and the crew seemed to be having technical difficulties. The crowd wasn’t impatient, however, and seemed to still be marveling at Sure Sure’s performance. Finally, the stage went dark, the lights dimmed and music started playing and that’s when the crowd went wild — Young the Giant was ready to perform.
The concert was really incredible in every way, from the lights accompanying the music to the band’s enthusiasm and excitement to the beauty of their music itself. Young the Giant started the concert off with a few songs off its newer album, “Mirror Master,” which was released last summer. With each song as joyful and refreshing as the last one, my personal favorites off the album were “Heat of the Summer” and “Tightrope.” They then started going back to some of their oldies off previous albums, such as “Cough Syrup,” “Home of the Strange” and “Titus Was Born.”
I loved this, as I hadn’t really listened to the newer album, but their older songs were really special to me when I was younger, so it meant a lot to me. The lights were also super cool, as they used different colored lights to depict the mood of each song, and even had a rainbow theme going on at one point. Finally, the concert ended on one of my favorite songs of theirs, “My Body.” The energy pulsing through the crowd was electrifying, as everyone seemed so alive and happy and when the concert ended, it seemed like everyone was exhilarated.
Overall, I really enjoyed the concert and loved the performances by both bands, as they are both extremely talented and natural performers. I hope they have an exciting rest of their tour and continue making their own beautiful music.
_Edited by Joe Cross | jcross@themaneater.com_