The Neighbourhood
April 2, 2014
Showbox Sodo- Seattle, WA
On a bright and colorful day in Seattle, WA this week, pop-rock newcomers The Neighbourhood descended upon the city to play to a packed Showbox SoDo crowd, eager to hear their ultra-vibey brand of rock.
The study in contrasts inside the building was on full display as openers, Kitten tore up the stage for what seemed to be less than 30 minutes as lead singer Chloe Chaidez buzzed around the stage like a bumblebee in a glass jar. The frenetic pace of the songs made the time fly by and the crowd watched in awe as Chaidez climbed the rafters, sung from the crowd, and surfed her way back up on to the stage. Security at the venue got more than they bargained for during this set, keeping an eye on the overly energetic lead singer. At break neck speed, their set came to a close and the lights in the venue slowly turned up in between set changes.
For all the energy of Kitten’s performance, The Neighbourhood brought a decidedly different blend of tunes, met with enthusiastic approval from the adoring fans. As the members took their respective places on the stage, intense blasts of strobes lit the band from behind, revealing each member in shadowy silhouette. Known for their strict color code of black and white, each member donned varying degrees of the aforementioned colors, matched perfectly by their light show. Lead singer Jesse Rutherford began his androgynous croon and the band began their set, aided largely by the rhythm section of Brandon Fried (drums) and Mikey Margott (bass).
The NBHD’s sound is heavily influenced by R&B and it was on full display as the crowd danced along to every song. As the momentum built to a crescendo, the band grooved through their 13 song set, closing with their two biggest radio hits. Sweater Weather was up first, which is a wildly appropriate song for about 85% of Seattle weather, and as Rutherford sung “It’s too cold for you here…” the entire venue sang it right back at him as if they were giving the band a piece of advice about the Pacific Northwest climate. Known for playing their shows with no encore, they launched into the final song Afraid which features a biting, NSFW chorus and every single middle finger in the venue went up, following the lead of their beloved hero on stage. Afraid is currently ruling the alternative radio waves and it was their absolute “drop the mic” moment. As the notes faded out and the band walked off into the shadowy darkness of the backstage area, the lights went up, revealing a physically exhausted audience, wide eyed and content. The Neighbourhood came, they saw, and they conquered another show.
Review: Jake Gravbrot
The Neighbourhood
Kitten
