Last night Glasvegas took over the Knitting Factory, a show originally planned to take place at fellow Brooklyn venue Rough Trade. Catching the Glasgow band was long overdue for me, so getting to see them for the first time at the extremely tiny Knitting Factory made the wait well worth it.
L.A. group The Ceremonies opened the show in style. The band is led by a trio of brothers: Matthew, Mark, and Michael Cook. They have a debut, self-titled EP that they released last year, with most of the tracks they performed coming from that release. All three brothers took turns singing, all sporting their equally impressive vocals that came in handy during their addicting harmonies. Their material isn’t limited to one genre or specific sound, but rather a wide collection of passion and feelings that were easy to get lost in. Lots of cool grooves and vocal hooks, some more 80s based than others (think Echo & The Bunnymen meets a more uppity Fleet Foxes). I enjoyed their set quite a bit. Surely a band to keep an eye on.
Like many, I discovered Glasvegas with the release of their great debut album and I’ve made it my mission to finally see them live at some point. Things finally worked out for me, and Knitting Factory was a perfect little spot for the band to work their magic. For most of the show, the band stayed tucked away in the dark shadows on stage, only showing face during brief moments of brightness from strobe lights that flashed during the most dramatic/climatic peaks.
With nearly every song as epic as the next, it felt as though the tiny room could hardly contain all of the energy that frontman James Allan and the rest of the crew presented to us. Songs like “Geraldine” and “Go Square Go” were hot fire, rising to the occasion in every way. There were beautiful moments to be had as well, found with “Ice Cream Van”, “Daddy’s Gone”, and encore opener “Flowers & Football Tops.” A super-charged “Lots Sometimes”, one of the band’s finest moments finished the show up in incredible fashion, not looking back for a second. The lyrics on the gem of a track are affecting to begin with, but hearing it played in such a stunning fashion nearly did me in.
Glasvegas know a thing or two about creating moments that feel larger than life; grand enough to transform you from your current state into something much more worthy. That’s how I felt last night, just completely immersed in their world for a solid 90 minutes or so, not worried about anything else other than what song was coming at me next.
Setlist is posted below along with photos of both Glasvegas and The Ceremonies.
Setlist:
1. Later… When The TV Turns to Static
2. Youngblood
3. It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
4. Lonesome Swan
5. If
6. Secret Truth
7. The World Is Yours
8. Dream Dream Dreaming
9. Geraldine
10. Ice Cream Van
11. Go Square Go
Encore:
12. Flowers & Football Tops
13. Daddy’s Gone
14. Lots Sometimes
Glasvegas:
The Ceremonies:
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