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The xx At The Hollywood Bowl: Review

Aeri Koo |
September 30, 2013 | 1:51 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

The xx on stage at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Aeri Koo/Neon Tommy)
The xx on stage at the Hollywood Bowl. (Photo by Aeri Koo/Neon Tommy)
The xx made its first debut at the Hollywood Bowl this Sunday, this being the last stop in Los Angeles during their 2013 tour.

The first of the opening acts was Austra, a Canadian electronic music band from Toronto, Ontario. Clad in a vintage-inspired wedding dress, lead singer Katie Stelmanis was joined by her fellow band mates who were donned in sparkly tees and pleather shirts. With only 25 minutes, the electronic beats were a perfect blend with Stelmanis’s romantic vocals, impressing the crowd with just a short amount of time.

Ruth Radelet from the Chromatics. (Photo by Aeri Koo/Neon Tommy)
Ruth Radelet from the Chromatics. (Photo by Aeri Koo/Neon Tommy)
Next up was Chromatics, starting with their hit “Kill for Love." Hand picked to open the show by The xx, this band is climbing the ladder in the indie music scene. Lead singer Ruth Radelet has a velvety voice that’s effortlessly sultry.

Ending with a rendition of Neil Young’s “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black),” the band mellowed out the crowd just in time for The xx.

As the lights dimmed and softened with the stage smoke, Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sims, and Jamie Smith made their way onto the Hollywood Bowl stage. In their usual all-black attire, The xx opened with a song from their new album "Coexist," “Try.”

READ MORE: The xx Seduce On 'Coexist'

The show was a medley of their first album, "The xx," and their recent album, "Coexist." Tracks like “VCR” and “Islands” brought the cozy crowd immediately on their feet until they started to dwindle down into their seats for “Reunion”.

As excited as the fans were, vocalist and bassist Oliver Sims made it apparent that the experience was just as surreal for him as it was for the fans. Between songs, Sims continuously expressed his gratitude for the experience and entertained the audience by thanking them for “being here on the night of Breaking Bad’s finale”. 

As expected, the vocals of the performance were what soothed the jam-packed arena. Some held onto loved ones while others swayed softly in unison with the crowd. As Sims and Croft’s voices fused into one, everyone was singing along to the familiar tunes.

However, it was the visual presentation that made the night even more magical. The night started off with minimal lighting, shining just at each member. As the show progressed, the night was illuminated with an array of lights that overlooked the entire showground.

Oliver Sims and Romy Madley Croft during their performance. (Photo by Aeri Koo/Neon Tommy)
Oliver Sims and Romy Madley Croft during their performance. (Photo by Aeri Koo/Neon Tommy)
The apparent chemistry between Sims and Croft was what connected the audience with the performers. With their signature move of standing face to face with their instruments, it’s quite easy to assume a romantic relationship from this duo by watching their performance. However, they’ve both made it clear that their relationship is nothing more than that of close friends since the age of two.

Although Croft and Smith were the center of attention, hidden in the back was another musical talent that many forget when thinking about The xx. Jamie Smith, who joined the original duo at the age of 11, is a music producer and remix artist who goes by his stage name Jamie xx.

Jamie xx has gained fame and recognition as both a member of The xx as well as a solo artist. Check out some of his solo work here.

Towards the end of the night, the stage fell into complete darkness. Viewers were confused as to if the concert has suddenly ended, and you could sense the audience about to call for an encore.

Right then the stage lit up – the suspense bringing the crowd cheering for more. But what was unexpected was the sight of the Hollywood Bowl orchestra in the background, which got the audience in what seemed like a never-ending roar of whistling and whooping.

With what seemed like an already perfect night, the orchestra brought the melodies larger than life by ending with the first track on their "Coexist" album, “Angels”.

After the last song the band stood together for a much needed standing ovation. The night ended perfectly while the audience watched Croft and Sims walking off hand in hand.

Read more of NT's show reviews here.

Reach Staff Reporter Aeri Koo here.



 

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