Every open eye

After a self imposed hiatus from social activity since mid September , I rejoined the world tonight. I needed the chaos of the remainder of my family traveling in these last few weeks to subside first. And the return came in the form of Chvrches at Radio City Music Hall. 

For the uninitiated, Chvrches are a synth pop group from Glasgow, Scotland. I first heard of them myself at the end of 2012. On one particular evening I happened to come across their song, “The Mother We Share” and after hearing it, I was left with a smile on my face. At the time, it was that song but no album. Their debut album “The Bones of What You Believe” would drop in September 2013. I was hooked after the first listen and subsequent listens after . To the point that the song “Lies” from that album is sixth in my top 25 most played songs on my iPod to this day. 

I wanted to see them live in the hopes of catching that hooky joy that comes through on record. When the follow up, 2015’s “Every Open Eye” came out, I was eager to hear it and once again, I was hooked. The week of the albums release saw them perform at summer stage in Central Park but I skipped it as I wasn’t keen on a GA outdoor show. I wondered if I’d get another chance. 

Then came the end of the summer and the announcement of tonight’s show. I jumped on the opportunity, even if my inability to track down the pre sale code kept me out of the orchestra and into the first mezzanine. But I was joyous with my paper ticket in hand. At the very least, I had something to look forward to prior to leaving for Spain in a weeks time. 

But before the main event, there was the opening act. The band opening the night is named Potty Mouth from Northhampton, MA. With guitars, bass and drums to match the star struck feeling of where they were, the crowd was more than warmed up. All that’s left was the waiting. 

At 9:15PM, the opening of Every Open Eyes first track, “Never Ending Circles” rang out and the crowd was on their feet. And on it would go as the set list crossed both albums and bookended by the opening tracks. It was front woman Lauren Mayberry’s relentless energy combined with the arsenal of hooks coming out of the bass guitar, synths and electronic drums that had the crowd roaring all of the ninety minutes on stage. I went into the good night hoarse from trying to sing along but  in a happy mood. Before going into the subway, I stopped at Duane Reade for a travel item run. 

With this night in the books, there’s one more concert left this year, possibly. It’ll be Foals at the United Palace on 11/4. But the co main event is on the horizon. I return to Spain at the end of next week. I say this is a co main event as the other one is my friend Jen’s birthday party two weeks after the Foals concert. 

It’s been a crazy year so far, but I hope to end it on a positive note and nights like this go a long way to accomplishing the goal!