Concert Review: Glasvegas

Glasvegas
Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY - 01.06.09
Filter Grade: 86%

by Samantha Barnes 01.09.2009
http://www.filter-mag.com/

JANUARY 05: Musician James Allan of the band Glasvegas performs onstage at Virgin Megastore Union Square on January 5, 2009 in New York City.(Getty Images)

The scene was a cold and rainy night, perfect to make Scotland’s hottest import, Glasvegas, feel right at home in New York City. Playing an overly sold-out show at SoHo’s Bowery Ballroom on the day of their debut album’s U.S. release, the band was set to encounter a New York audience full of hipsters, industry wigs, fellow musicians and music fans eager to see if the act lived up to they hype. Surely a tall order to fill, but despite minor distractions, the band showcased just why Bowery was the place to be that night.

With no introduction needed, the band, all clad in black, took the stage to the backdrop of moody blue strobe lights and kicked right into the 7-minute pulsing album opener, “Flowers And Football Tops.” Frontman James Allan’s vocals soared over the dark room with his repeated pleas to his “baby,” evoking another generation’s Danny Zuko with his leather jacket, mini-pompadour and soulful croon. As the song built intensity, so did the light show, until bona fide stadium lights flared at the 550-capacity venue, causing most to turn away from the stage and some less forgiving concert-goers to yell out for relief. Concluding the song with a heartbreaking rendition of “You Are My Sunshine,” they prepared the crowd for exactly what was in store for the following 40 minutes – brooding sounds with spot-on vocals and a dreadfully inappropriate light show.

The quartet played through several songs without acknowledging the crowd, slowly building the excitement while loosening up to the typically stagnant New York audience. By mid-way through the relatively short 10-song set, they found just the chord to please the crowd. The lush sounds and sharp guitars of UK chart-topper, “Geraldine” had the room swaying and bopping along, led the whole time by Allan’s pitch-perfect voice. Following the crowd’s warm embrace of “Geraldine,” they switched to their darker side with the dramatic, building “Ice Cream Van,” showing only haunting shadows to the enraptured crowd while organs filled the air. Other set stand-outs include the stomping “Go Square Go” which broke into an all-out dance party and of course the highlight of the night - the powerful sing-along set closer “Daddy’s Gone.”

While the night may have ended too soon for some, Glasvegas proved that less is more with their concise set, only leaving the crowd wanting more, despite the potential retinal damage. Rest easy New York, they will return again with a little more confidence, a few more songs and perhaps a little less gusto for lights.

Set List

1. Flowers And Football Tops
2. Lonesome Swan
3. It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
4. Please Come Back Home
5. Polmont On My Mind
6. Geraldine
7. Ice Cream Van
8. Go Square Go
9. Stabbed
10. Daddy’s Gone