Having been on the road since mid-September, Beach House are beginning to wind things down. The Baltimore-based duo consisting of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand have been showing Canada some love with over 15 dates across the country, and it's been nothing but a pleasure having them.
The Northern Exposure Tour just recently came through Montreal, Canada for two nights of sold-out goodness. Presented by Blue Skies Turn Black, both nights were opened by the lovely Steve Strohmeier and Skyler Skjelset (of Fleet Foxes), who also ended up playing alongside Beach House for a few songs during their set.
Legrand and Scally (along with Grizzly Bear drummer Chris Bear) were modestly tasteful, focused, and relatively reserved, apart from Legrand playfully attempting to speak French to the eager crowd. Playing a majority of tracks from Teen Dream (2010 via Sub Pop and Bella Donna) and Bloom (2012 via Sub Pop), Beach House entranced the crowd with prolonged momentary bliss (good for you if you got that reference).
Tracks like "Walk In The Park", "Lazuli", and "The Hours" were as dreamy and spaced-out as one might imagine them to be in person, sounding arguably better than their recorded counterparts. In particular, "Other People", "Take Care", and "Myth" really seemed to steal the show, displaying an artistry that is only known to Beach House.
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There seemed to be a collective transparent mood in Théâtre Plaza that night, one that radiated a sense of unworthiness to be in the presence of such virtuosity. From what I could gather from people watching in the crowd, it was an honour for many to witness a performance so genuinely stimulating, as that sort of experience is often hard to come by. Little to no people resorted to pulling out their phone, alluding to Beach House's ability to capture an audience in full, without one feeling the need for technological mediation.
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