I first heard Glass Animals in December of 2014. My friend put the music video for "Gooey" on while a group of us were hanging out at her place, and I instantly fell in love.
Since then, I have seen Glass Animals at The Box, Central Park Summerstage, Terminal 5, and Bonnaroo. Each time has been an utterly fantastic live show, with varying degrees of show production catered to the venue. So when they announced a tour in support of their latest album How To Be A Human Being, I jumped and immediately bought a two-day pass to their engagements at Terminal 5.
The first show was on Wednesday, September 28th. I got to the venue around 8pm, and thankfully so because magically everyone who had an e-ticket could not access their e-ticket anymore through the Ticketmaster app .There was a massive line to the box office for ticket reprints that was snaking around the front of the venue. But even that couldn't kill the vibe.
Glass Animals is the only band I've seen at Terminal 5 who decorates the entrance hallway to set the mood for the night. Fake plants, fog, deep pink lights, and small televisions with psychedelic visuals lined the walkway to the main area, which was bursting with the filled-to-capacity crowd.
They opened their set with the high energy "Life Itself" immediately followed by "Youth - the standout single from their new record. The energy in the air was electrifying, and it didn't fade once through the set.
The band members are so endearing on stage - they look as though they are genuinely having the most fun, and you can't help but smile from watching them. Not to mention, they sound incredible. Frontman Dave Bayley's vocal delivery is impeccable, and his dance moves are quite infectious. They closed the night out with "Pork Soda", my favorite from the new release. It was a perfect show experience.
The second night featured a nearly identical set list, and just as much stamina and delivery from the band. As an attendee, there was a different vibe in the crowd, with many more pushy people who kept spilling beer on me and digging their elbows in to my back, which took a lot away from the fantastic performance on stage. It's remarkable how a crowd can truly make or break an event.
But the bottom line is - Glass Animals are outstanding performers who bring their recorded songs to life with such ease and agility, that you must put them at the top of your to-see list.