On a Tuesday evening, September 24, Bastille performed at The Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden with Joywave as their supporting act. Since a Rangers game was going on that same night, The Garden was packed with a medley of hockey jersey bedecked Rangers fans with the contrasting crowd for Bastille. The Hulu Theater is just one of three stadiums in the legendary venue, so walking in and getting to the right theatre posed a bit of a challenge. In the end, worth it.
Joywave had the pleasure of opening for the headliner and came on stage with traffic coned colored matching jumpsuits that reminded me of DEVO. The five-person band came out with their impressive sound of pop, mixed with electronic aspects and impressive drum solos. Most notable songs of theirs included, “Dangerous,” “It’s A Trip,” “Tounges,” and “Destruction.” Their playful yet lowkey energy primed the audience for the headliner.
Bastille’s performance was what dreams are made of, literally, it felt like a dreamland. The concert could be chalked up to more of a performance theater musical type shindig. The stage was set up in quarters where there was a TV screen set up in one corner and a portable stairway, that acted as a fire escape. The screen behind showed trippy videos and images that just seemed to beg the question, “What does it mean?” as Dan runs around and dances on stage with pure abandon and beats on drums.
When Dan Smith came on and performed the first song, he started in front of the TV screen with his hoodie drawn up over his face as he broke into “Quarter Past Midnight.” Throughout his performance, the endearing lead and his crew continued to win the hearts of the audience (as if they hadn’t all ready).
Politics was even mentioned in the concert: “Boris Johnson, our fuckwhit of an MP! He got caught lying to the Queen. Who the fuck gets caught lying to the Queen?” A sentiment of the absurdity of the world we all share at the moment.
Their most recent album Doom Days is an appropriate meditation on the current climate of the world. “We wanted to make something really happy and hopeful, but we are a really fucking depressing band,” admits Dan when explaining the process of their latest album. It’s songs in that album like “Doom Days,” and “Bad Decisions” that show off the bands talent at grasping the current mania of the generation.
For those that have been fans from the start, have no fear, they had a few nostalgic tricks up their sleeve. Personal favorites, “Flaws,” “Pompeii,” and “Things We Lost In The Fire” were saved for nearer the end of the set as the audience threatened to nearly overpower the mic’d singers. The performance that stood out most was his simplistic acoustic song “Two Evils.” In a show that is full of effects and spinning couches, the scene of Dan sitting on the set of stairs with a full blood moon in the back as he belted out this Jeff Buckley-Esque ballad with smokey guitars was powerful and moving.
This insanely talented song-writer even managed to make a song about a one-night stand, “Another Place,” seem thoughtful as he goes threw alternate scenarios of the night.
Bastille has a knack for bringing their audience together and isn’t afraid to get involved as Dan takes to the seats to sing with the crowd and trying to outrun his security detail. This band is a gift as they do not shy away from the harsh realities, and remind us that we are not alone in this world.
