Birmingham, England based band Editors didn't seem to mind that Boston's largest nightclub was surprisingly undersold. Passionately playing a 90-minute, 19-song set, the band left the audience wondering why anyone would miss this show.
Taking the stage at 9:30 with Portishead's "Machine Gun" playing on the PA, the band settled in with the slow, buzzy keyboards to "In This Light and On This Evening." As singer/guitarist/keyboardist Tom Smith hammered staccato notes and howled "Oh my God," his bandmates were poised to fall over with anticipation. Finally, the four-piece busted out their instruments, and the drone swirled. Bassist Russell Leach, slinging his black Rickenbacker bass, was the most animated. Smiling throughout the show, he often gave the adoring crowd a "thumbs up" appreciation. Guitarist/keyboardist Chris Urbanowicz likewise did a mighty job on his guitar, giving his trademark jangle to the Editors' dark, moody tunes. Editors perform with a unified, blended sound, so Urbanowicz' striking guitar solo during "Racing Rats" gave an enjoyable pause.
As often the case at the House of Blues, the sound mix was fantastic, allowing the crowd to appreciate drummer Edward Lay's clear smack down on his kit. Lay's riser was unusually pushed far back on the stage. Yet, with his bandmates bouncing around keyboard stands and racks of gear, it was probably for the best.
Mixing tracks from their three full albums, Editors never slowed down their set. It took Smith until the third song before he even said "Hello." Although with live shows you often desire less talk more rock, sometimes you want that little bit of connection. That was the case for Editors' crowd interaction: a few thank you's and a short band intro was all we got.
Showing their adept musicianship and experience performing as a cohesive group, no one musician out shown the other, and together they filled the soundscape beautifully. Highlights of the extensive set included "Bullets" from their debut The Back Room and "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors," which beat the audience with a wall of pounding sound and flashing strobes. Editors ended the main set with "Bricks and Mortar," as Smith and Urbanowicz played the same keyboard with a playful, childlike zeal.
Though the crowd was somewhat sparse, the band truly enraptured their fans. With hands pumping in the air and voices belting out passionate lyrics, the audience and band exchanged an infectious, sincere energy.
Setlist:
In This Light And On This Evening
Lights
An End Has A Start
You Don't Know Love
Bullets
The Boxer
The Big Exit
Blood
Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
The Racing Rats
Escape the Nest
Like Treasure
Bones
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
Bricks and Mortar
Encore:
Walk the Fleet Road
Munich
Papillon
Fingers in the Factories
