THE 1975 ELECTRIFIES SPRINT PAVILION
Date of show: June 12, 2016 Location: Sprint Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA Photos and Review by: Nina Martin/StellarPhoto (Copy editing by Tori Biggs) The 1975 performed at the Sprint Pavilion in Charlottesville, VA on Sunday, June 12th. The Manchester quartet has been touring non-stop in support of the band's sophomore studio album, "I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It", which was released earlier this year. Wet was there to set just the right vibe. Vocalist Kelly Zutrau sang with such depth and clarity, with tales of heart-ache and despair, but gave the crowd all the motivating words to keep moving forward. The electronic drum sound was a nice touch. Overall this band has a great hypnotic sound. I would certainly keep a lookout for what these guys (and gal) bring to the table this year. The static white noise began to thump louder for what seemed like forever to the crowd, when a surge of vibrant pink popped on the stage graphics. Vocalist Matty Healy arrives on stage with his smooth charisma, rousing the fans by kicking off the night with "Love Me". Bassist Ross MacDonald really shined with sensationally groovy bass lines during hits like "She's American" and Adam Hann's sleek guitar leads really contribute to the ambiance of the band. Hann and Macdonald played the synth for a series of slower jams, which I really appreciated as well. Dave Eltich (of The Mars Volta) didn't skip a beat, covering for George Daniel, who has been out with a shoulder injury. The occasional soulful saxophone was also notable. Before going into the song "Loving Someone", Matty expressed his anger about the tragic events that recently struck Orlando. Healy stated there is so much divided right now and how our generation truly has the ability to "change the f*ing world", we just have to choose to break down the walls and choose to love one another. The band also changed their production set to beautiful rainbow shades to show the love and support they have for the victims and community. The four song encore started with the track "If I Believe You", which was certainly another highlight of the night. Hearing this song performed live is almost an out-of-body experience. You have the samples of a gospel choir in the background in sync with timed strobes as you hear Healy's haunting lyrics 'If I'm lost then how can I find myself' and he makes you feel as though you have joined him on his search for higher power. With an unpredictably animated stage presence throughout the band's set, Matty truly exemplified what one would imagine a rockstar frontman to be. When he's not taking a drag from his cigarette, you see him bouncing his curls back and forth or dancing with such effortless grace in between his melodic and punchy vocals. What differentiates The 1975 from many other touring acts is the versatility that these guys have. Aside from the band delivering a seamlessly impressive live performance, the entire set design was quite remarkable itself, ever-changing with themes and vibrancy, dubbing The 1975 one of East Coast Live's Must See Summer Shows. The group will continue to tour through the fall, ending the year with an already sold out monumental concert at The O2 in London, performing songs they have yet to play live. This unforgettable show is more of an experience, and is worth whatever price or drive you must do just get out and see them. http://the1975.com/ https://www.facebook.com/the1975 http://www.twitter.com/the1975 https://www.youtube.com/user/The1975music
