Tag: glass animals

Glass Animals – Palace Theater 9/27

Posted on by kustradio

By: Ted Tiedemann 

Glass Animals performed to a sold out crowd at the Palace Theater for the first time this past September. As always, they had an elaborate set design adorned with palm trees, pineapples, colored lights, a pineapple disco ball, and the letters GA in large 8-bit font hung above them. The band presented an upbeat, energetic set that got everyone dancing, which is typical at a Glass Animals show. David Bayley, the front man, engaged in his usual bouncy antics, dancing from one side of the stage to the other, singing while standing amongst the crowd, and letting his inner child out on stage. Their performance was no short of incredible; all of the members bring a high tier of musicianship and talent to the table. Joe Seaward is an underrated drummer in the indie rock/pop world and his live performance shows his precise skill and passion he contributes to the show. On the song “Cane Shuga,” he plays a syncopated beat seamlessly with super clean trap hi-hat rhythms, and in a live scenario it’s mesmerizing. Both Drew MacFarlane and Edmund Irwin-Singer handle all of the synths, guitars and samples to create a kind of symphony that’s rooted heavily in hip hop, indie, and culture. 


Unfortunately the show suffered some mixing issues; the midi instruments were too quiet, low and high frequencies were too hot which cut out essential mids. Despite some sound issues, the band persevered and played a high energy show. David Bayley evoked images of Thom Yorke’s wild dancing, and felt loose enough to improvise some falsetto runs on various tracks. Both Drew and Edmund improvised melodic motifs in their most popular songs to add intrigue to the live show. Above all that, what made the show feel so much more intimate was the fact that they had Joe playing drums to the side rather than behind the band. This setup felt more like I got a better sense of each individual member and what they contributed, rather than having the focus always be the singer. Much of their live show consists of a subtle tweak to the formula of having a good live show, and subtle breaking of the rules that make them stand out as an indie band. There is no doubt that Glass Animals are a tight outfit that will definitely last due to their solid live shows.

Glass Animals – “How to be a Human Being”

Posted on by kustradio

By: Liz Legatt

If you haven’t engulfed yourself in the latest Glass Animals album yet, I recommend doing so ASAP. “How to be a Human Being” is the perfect blend of Alternative, Indie, and Hip Hop. Needless to say, I am obsessed and have been since day one… Which was back on August 26th, 2016. Four months later and I’m still listening just as much as I did the week of its release.

Glass Animals’ second full-length album grasps inspiration from the real-life interactions of lead-singer Dave Bayley, with fans during his travels across the world. The album features 11 banger tracks, each detailing the story of 11 different characters that Bayley has come across. Every character has their own personality; therefore every song has its own flavor. This genius idea creates a diverse album, drawing me back in and causing me to love it more with each listen. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve recommended “How to be a Human Being” to, but I can say that I have no plans to stop.

My favorite track off the album is without a doubt “The Other Side of Paradise”, which tells the story of a man who heads to California in search of fame, leaving behind his lover and resulting in him losing himself amidst the ambitions of Hollywood. The emotional build up as the woman he leaves behind repeats over and over, “I know you don’t but I still try, / my thunder shook him down, / that girl is gone but I still try, / I think it’s over now…” sends heart-wrenching goose bumps shooting down my spine without fail EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I had the unforgettable opportunity to see this group at the Myth Nightclub back in October and can say that not only was I not disappointed by any aspect of the night, but also that this experience is now ranked in my top concerts. The amount of energy, combination of new and old music, and connectivity with the crowd made me feel as much a part of the performance as the band. My friends and I were able to reach front row for the encore, when Bayley personally grabbed our hands before heading offstage. The post-concert-depression I experienced was the worst I’ve had to date. I definitely have plans of seeing them again next time they roll through town and highly suggest you do the same!