Local Natives at Whelan’s, Dublin on 11th February, 2013
It’s on a wet, dreary Monday evening that Silver Lake’s finest, Local Natives, play to a sold out Whelans. To say tickets to this show were scarce would be an understatement . Cries for it to be moved to a larger venue were ignored, and with good reason as the band would very happily announce from the stage that they’d be back in October to play none other than our very own Olympia Theatre.
First up tonight are Belgian five-piece, Balthazar. An act I’ve had on my list for a long time so was delighted to hear they were supporting (especially as I only found out they were supporting when the band announced it themselves after walking onstage!). Be it their lush, four-part harmonies or Radiohead-esque multi-drum parts, the whole band move as a concise, single unit. One of their more interesting elements is the earnest swagger (if such a term exists) that singer Maarten Devoldere deploys when delivering his Bob Dylan-esque vocal parts. It’s an off-kilter drawl that contrasts the straightforward delivery of their other vocalist, Jinte Deprez. Together it’s a winning combination. The undisputed highlight of their short set is Blood Like Wine, where the extended acapella outro goes on and on as the tempo gets continually slower.
Hot off the release of their second LP ‘Hummingbird’, Local Natives emerge to an enthusiastic Whelans crowd. They waste no time getting down to business as they kick into album opener You & I. With shimmering guitars and gentle, tumbling drums it’s a soothing introduction. The set continues with a similar mid-tempo chug until the pace is picked up for unashamedly groovy Camera Talk from first album ‘Gorilla Manor’. Given that ‘Hummingbird’ has only been in our hands/iPods/Spotify playlists for a few weeks it’s no surprise that tracks from their debut get the biggest reaction.
The back to back combination of World News and Airplanes bring us into the most excited part of the set and it’s where Local Natives really come into their own. The chant-along choruses and increased energy levels from both band and audience take the entire thing up a notch. By the time we get to the peak of Who Knows Who Cares and Sun Hands the energy becomes almost primal.
Musically the gig was expertly executed. Local Natives have the musical chops to shift textures at ease. The mid tempo start was a little too well suited to the rainy Monday evening but at the shows peak they’re barely contained by the intimate venue. This no doubt means that October’s Olympia show will be a treat indeed so watch this space!
Local Natives Photo Gallery
Photos: Kieran Frost
