So Mardi Gras is officially over and the season of Lint is upon us. If someone told me I had to give up music for Lint, I would be deeply saddened but could look back on The XX show as inspiration to get me the next forty days. To say the show was amazing would be an understatement at best.
The SOLD OUT show featured the Canadian electronic band Austra as the opener. Taken from the lead singer’s middle name, Austra dance beats filled the near capacity crowd from the start of the set all the way through. Katie Stelmanis vocals were passionate and ethereal at times and mixed well with the beats that accompanied them. The dark wave sounds were a perfect companion to the night’s main event.
After a rather slow turn around, The XX came out to a completely filled house and launched into their first single off their latest album Coexist, “Angles.” This was the first time the English trio had played New Orleans and they were beyond excited, stating their joy for the city and the amazing coincidence of it being Mardi Gras. The crown in return threw the band some beads.
The XX may be best known for their works showing up in commercials. The Olympics, and TV shows, which probably helped the SOLD OUT nature of the show. If you ever seen the show Suits, you can’t help but love this band as a few tracks have been featured and the score itself has an overwhelming influence by the band’s music.
The show was a combination of both their albums. The great thing about only having two albums is the likelihood that your favorite track will get played, and they did. The light show was amazing, perfectly synced to every note played on stage, creating mood escapes throughout the evening. The projections that accompanied the music only lent to enhance the musical experience.
The main set ended appropriately with “Infinity” and gathered the greatest response when the band played “Fiction” and “VCR.” The encore was by far the most intense part of the evening, starting out with the amazing instrumental “Intro” and was rounded out with “Tides” and “Stars.” At the end of the evening I was at complete loss for words. A band that can combine boy the visual and auditory elements properly will always give me chills and The XX stepped up to the plate and delivered well beyond my wildest expectations.
Setlist
Angels
Heart Skipped a Beat
Fiction
Crystalised
Chained
Reunion
Far Nearer
Sunset
Night Time
Swept Away
Shelter
VCR
Islands
Try
Infinity
ENCORE
Intro
Tides
Stars
