Downtown Knoxville was electric Tuesday night. In every restaurant and bar we visited, the topic of discussion quickly switches to The War on Drugs at the Bijou. The crowd is eclectic to say the least. Hipsters, hippies and high schoolers intermingle with a surprising amount of 50-70 year olds, all adjourned with elastic grins.
Standing in the back on the floor, just beneath the balcony overhang, three of us gather to take in what easily can be described as the most fantastic opening band we have seen this year. Hop Along from Philadelphia, PA, is loud, well arranged, incredibly catchy indie rock. Front woman Francis Quinlan both sings and shreds. Her voice is somewhere between The Smiths and The Pixies and is completely wonderful. Playful and warm, they were the perfect pick to jump start the audience.
Just before The War on Drugs took the stage, we made our way to the front to our seats. The backdrop can best be described as 3D pacman cutouts stacked to make a soft V which when lit with the pulsing lights, gave the impression of movement sweeping in and out. For now the lights are low and the reverberation that has become so well known as the into to Pressure whips the crowd into a roar.
For two full hours Adam Granduciel wowed us with his patiently put together and never hurried melodies. The futuristic/80’s throwback, if Rad Racer an entity and you were speeding down a midnight interstate sound, driven by a steady popping backbeat had even the hippest hipsters moving around. Glancing over, I noted that my companions are also drenched in sweat from excessive dancing. Lost in the Dream blew us (and most of the world) away in 2014 and the live experience shattered all expectations. It was, simply put, incredible. So much so, that we traveled the next night to see the show again in Chattanooga at Track 29.
As biased as I am about The Bijou being the best place to see music in Knoxville, the Wednesday night show brought a more raw and exciting energy. The guys were covered in smiles and constantly joked with the audience. Their guitar tech Dominic’s birthday was celebrated just before the encore with a candle laden cake and a rousing Happy Birthday by the fans. The connection that the band shares easily transfers itself to the experience that is their live show.
For our southeastern based readers, you can catch The War on Drugs tonight in Birmingham and tomorrow in Memphis. They will circle back around and hit the Carolinas just after Bonnaroo. For a full tour listing go here.
