This was no ordinary Tuesday night for the Local Natives.

It was the band’s record release show commemorating their much-anticipated new album, "Hummingbird."

Their stop at the El Rey was the culmination of some intensive touring within Los Angeles, their city of origin. In two days, the Natives played three shows—one of which was a free show at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, a feat that had been a longtime dream of theirs. 

SEE ALSO: The Local Natives Hopes To Attract Sweet Success With “Hummingbird”

Considering the show was sold out within minutes of going on sale, it was only appropriate that the crowd was filled with only die-hard fans.

An even mix of material from "Gorilla Manor," their first LP, accompanied their new songs from "Hummingbird." The audience sang along to nearly every song regardless of the fact that many of the new songs had technically dropped the morning of.

One particularly vocal audience member hollered “See you in April!” between songs, referencing the band’s appearance on the Coachella 2013 lineup.

Taylor Rice, frontman/guitarist/vocalist of the band, expressed the band's collective excitement for their return to Indio, CA, a follow-up to their first festival gig there in 2010.

These indie rock talents certainly knew how to rile up their loyal fans and gave them their money’s worth with impressive showmanship. The Natives matched their fans’ enthusiasm ten-fold as they showed off their musical chops with a percussion-heavy set.

Multiple times throughout the show, they addressed how much heart and soul they had put into their new record and expressed their genuine excitement in being able to finally share it with their fans. 

Overall, the show felt extremely personal. It felt like an intimate conversation between the band and the audience. This was particularly exemplified with Kelcey Ayer’s shout-out to his father who was in the crowd that night.

Transitioning into “Airplanes” off of Gorilla Manor, Ayer explained that he wrote it about his father’s father. This very personal touch epitomized the vibe of the show and evoked a visceral response from the crowd. 

The lighting was relatively simple which worked to highlight the band's talent. Flashy distractions were unnecessary because their musicianship was enough to thoroughly captivate the room. 

Following a set filled with both old and new material, their encore started off with a song from the new record. However, the most memorable part of the encore was when they played two crowd favorites -- “Who Knows Who Cares,” and predictably, “Sun Hands” which raised the crowd to its peak of jubilance.  

It’s apparent that the Local Natives are avoiding the typical sophomore slump. It seems from their performance on Tuesday night at the El Rey Theatre, they are back with an updated sound while still remaining true to the aesthetic that they were born out of.

As a live band, they brought big sound and earnest lyricism to the forefront with a passionate energy and commitment to their fans that was simply undeniable.

Read more of NT's show reviews here.

Reach Staff Reporter Joanna Chiang here.