The last time I saw Beach House play at Webster Hall, they brought the house down with a spot-on set that transcended the space of Webster Hall. The duo premiered “White Moon,” a song that would resurface on their iTunes EP, and they left me buzzing. I was incredibly impressed with how the already fantastic songs from Teen Dream – a somewhat dreamy and ethereal record – translated into a rock star show. Lead singer Victoria Legrand whipped her hair (back and forth) and belted out tunes with reckless abandon.
The updated show was very similar, in the best way possible; Wednesday night saw no noticeable drop in quality or intensity. If anything, the band was more comfortable on stage. “We’re all older now,” Legrand observed, before adding that the modern age makes us age faster than we otherwise would. The show didn’t feel much older, though. Despite these songs being tour-worn and familiar, they retain their explosive feel in concert.
The set was dynamic and mysterious and a touch more friendly than their last. Beach House still has a penchant for playing in the shadows and rolling foggy fronts of smoke into the closest rows, but it seems that a few months on the road have opened them up to the idea of human connection. Legrand openly shared a bit about sleeping with strangers, and the sparse dialogue between songs skipped a step beyond the standard introductions, directly to personality.
The music was dynamic, starting with “Gila,” a tune from the duo’s second album, Devotion. Although the set was heavy on songs from Teen Dream, the pair dipped into their repertoire of older tunes as well, including fantastic versions of “Master of None” and “Astronaut,” from the preceding two albums. Later in the set, Beach House played a new track; rather than playing “White Moon” again, the band played a fresh, unnamed song – a rock infused jam that continues to heighten my anticipation of the next album.
Alex Scally spent more time than usual on his feet, seemingly into the upside of the music’s emotion rather than the downer aspects of it, Legrand’s voice was as oaky and awesome as ever, and a drum freakout on “Used To Be” made touring drummer Graham Hill’s presence known. Altogether, though, the tunes made the performers an afterthought – likely what Beach House would prefer. The crowd danced and swayed, particularly energetic for a Wednesday night. At one point, Scally offered audience members a Vietnamese sandwich if they danced; it wasn't a necessary offer, nor was it followed through upon.
The encore of the show was perhaps the night’s best pairing; the band followed the ethereal “Take Care” with the beat-laden “10 Mile Stereo” as fog rolled continuously off of the front of the stage. It was a fuzzy, buzzy haze, and it was lovely.
