NXNE Critical Conclusions for Gold & Youth (North By Northeast 2013 Concert Review)

The 1am treat after the free show by The National were Vancouver’s Gold & Youth. We interviewed them the day after their debut album came out, so check it out here.

Venue: BLK BOX (which should be renamed HOT BOX, because of how fucking steamy it was down there)

First Impressions: Holy darkness Batman! The lack of lighting really put the word BLK in BLK BOX. I hope our photgrapher Martin did okay! The music was loud and bassy, both in a good way.

Stage Presence: The band didn’t move much but the singer did lots of Trent Reznor-esque two handed mic grabs. Louise moved a lot during her turn front and centre during Jewel.

Random Observation: I know it was dark in the BLK BOX, but what was with some photographers doing flash photography? That’s Rule #1 of what not to do when shooting a concert – didn’t you get the memo?

Crowd Reaction: It was 1am and people wanted to sleep move. The band helped them fill this desire.

The Last Word: 8 /10 – A solid live sound from the Vancouver four-piece. They had great musicianship, and the songs were a little stronger in a live setting. Jewel was fantastic, and the set generally had the crowd dancing. It was exactly what I wanted at 1am in a sweaty, dark venue. That, and a giant slice of pizza. At least one came true.

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