Concert Review: Beach House at Avondale Brewing Company

Beach House are currently touring in support of their latest studio album, Once Twice Melody, released in February of this year. The duo, formed in 2004, has garnered a lot of praise and fanfare over the past two decades, cementing themselves as icons in their pocket of music and culture as a whole. Their performance in Birmingham exclaims this to the world.

New York art-rock outfit Sound of Ceres opened the show. I genuinely don't know how to accurately describe this act. A combination of chimes, harp, and tracks made up the instrumentation. Their lead vocals were also heavily buried, acting more as an instrument in a composition than a focal point. What made them stand out more so than their music was their performance, a combination of artistic set design and figurative dance added an element of stage presence I've never seen before. Sound of Ceres was trruly remarkable and a show you have to see for yourself to fully appreciate.  

Beach House craft an elegantly dreamy show, with atmospheric sounds and an ethereal haze casting over the crowd. An almost mystical feeling is cast during their show, one of uneasiness but also calming. It could be argued that their show is more than just music and performance, but also a sort of emotion.

Delicate guitars and synthesized melodies give way to huge swells and a lightened sense of bombast. Sonically, much of Beach House's music can blend and swirl together, but moments of differentiation set apart elements of each song. While the sea stays calm, underneath individual currents sway and move, causing a dynamic cascade of sound that crushed down on the audience in the best way possible.  

Beach House's surrounding production, filled with lights, strobing, and projectors, felt overwhelming. while their on stage presence, in the sense of individual motion, was stagnant, their light show radiated energy onto the crowd. Shimmering sparkles, blasting front lights, and psychedelic projections ebbed and flowed with each individual song. The lights felt like an extension of the band in a way I haven't seen before.   

This performance was awe-inspiring. From the moody ambiance of "PPP" to the high intensity swell of "New Romance," Beach House perfectly crafted their set to reflect all aspects of the band, their history, and their future. It was also clear the band was present in the moment, they wanted to be on stage. Their passion for performance was a shining light in the night.

Beach House brings a unique setlist for each night of tour. On the band's website, fans are allowed to vote on which songs they want to see performed at each show. This creates a unique blend of hits, "Space Song" and "Myth," and deep cuts, "Lazuli" and "Modern Love Stories."

          1.Once Twice Melody

          2. Lazuli

          3. Dark Spring

          4. Wildflower

          5. Pink Funeral

          6. PPP

          7. Black Car

          8. Superstar

          9. Levitation

          10. Lemon Glow

          11. Wherever You Go

          12. New Romance

          13. Space Song

          14. Modern Love Stories

          15. Myth

          -

          16. Take Care

          17. Over and Over

Beach House still has a sporadic run of shows left in the year, with a handful of U.S. dates followed by a tour through Mexico and South America. Their remaining tour dates are below: 

          9/28 New Orleans, LA — Orpheum Theater*

          10/02 Perris, CA — Desert Daze 2022

          10/28 Monterrey, MX — Auditorio Pabellón M

          10/31 Guadalajara, MX — Teatro Diana

          11/02 Mexico City, MX — Pepsi Center WTC

          11/05 São Paulo, BR — Primavera Sound 2022

          11/08 Lima, PE — Anfiteatro Parque De La Exposición

          11/11 Santiago, CL — Primavera Sound 2022

          11/13 Buenos Aires, AR — Primavera Sound 2022

          12/03-04 Phoenix, AZ — Zona Rock Festival 2022

          * with Sound of Ceres

Beach House was without a doubt one of the most jaw-dropping performances I've ever witnessed. From their musicianship to their production, the execution of this concert was flawless. The magic that surrounds like music was in full effect. This is an act who has earned the high praise that has consistently been heaped onto them and it easily one of the best shows I've seen in a long time.