I walked into the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden to what seemed like a full house. Many of those there seemed to be adults or new adults. The night opened with a playful set by Joywave. With a touch of psychedelic rock, they performed an array of rock songs. The lead singer had a voice that was gentle yet distinct and carried throughout the theatre, blending well with the guitar and drums. They ended with “Obsession” and left the audience anticipating the performance for Bastille.
After a short intermission, the lights started to dim and the energy in the room suddenly shot through the roof. Everyone started to stand up to cheer for Bastille as they entered the stage and performed. There was a Dooms Day couch on stage, which is quite the tribute to their latest album. The transitions between each song were smooth as they performed song after song, and they activated the entire stage through various motions of dance and interaction with the fans in the front row. They sang their song “Happier” in which they wrote with Marshmallow and teased a video that comes out today (The next day).
Halfway through, they sat down and talked to the audience of their hypocrisy of being here in New York City and in being alive, especially with so many major events, like the climate crisis, happening around the globe right now. They also gave a heartfelt talk about the process in which they created their album “Doomsday”, including which songs they started out first and which songs they favorited. They invited singer The Dawn of May up with them for various songs and her soulful voice intertwined with the harmonies created by Bastille. The night ended with a rush of Nostalgia as they sang “Pompeii”, the first song by Bastille in which I listened to when I first found out about them.
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Words: Kelly Liu + Photos: Carly Boyle/MSG Photos
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