This post was written by Hatchet Reporter Patrick Rochelle.
The temperature in the Black Cat’s mainstage ran high Friday night, but no one in the crowd seemed to mind. The tightly packed room of fans, pushing and rocking up against one another, were all focused on indie-pop duo Beach House’s electrifying performance.
Lead singer and keyboardist Victoria Legrand welcomed the audience the moment she walked onstage.
“It’s good to see you guys,” she said, as if referring to a room of old friends.
After that brief introduction, the group immediately launched into “Walk in the Park,” a track off its newest album “Teen Dream.” Although Beach House did play older songs, most of the set’s material came from this record, which was released in January.
Guitarist Alex Scally sat while playing, but his legs were bursting with energy; he was practically dancing in his chair. Legrand’s long hair and bangs jolted in all directions as she pressed passionately against the keys.
It wasn’t until “Norway” that Beach House began to truly grab the attention of the audience. During that song, a thick wall of sound filled the packed room, and Legrand’s husky vocals radiated out over the audience.
At one point, Legrand asked that all the lights be turned off in the room.
“I want to make sure it’s as dark as possible… this is the X-rated parted of the show,” she joked.
Legrand continued to play with the audience, noting how only people from Baltimore kept yelling during the set.
“We have some real Baltimore screamers,” she said. “Where are all the D.C. screamers?”
On “Used to Be,” the band managed to capture the ethereal sound that’s prominent throughout “Teen Dream.” Legrand’s vocals were tight, and Scally’s guitar riffs were particularly clear and crisp. Audience members responded to this song, many raising their hands on the chorus and singing along: “Coming home, any day now.”
Beach House closed with “Take Care.”
“I think this is our last song,” Legrand explained. “It’s a love song.” The duo gave all they had to this final performance; Scally’s face was positively euphoric.
The sold-out concert attracted only the most die-hard Beach House fans.
“The music takes you to a place other bands don’t,” Baltimore native Rikki Waterman said. “It’s real and romantic.”
