On September 21st, the English Indie Rock group Glass Animals graced the stage at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. To start off, it was absolutely a night to remember. You could feel the crowd’s anticipation and excitement building as they awaited the band’s arrival. The stage was designed to look like a control center in a spaceship, which looked incredible and perfectly suited the theme of their latest album, I Love You So F*ing Much. During one of the first few songs, lead singer Dave Bayley joked that the audience’s light-up glasses made the concert look like a “space rave” — which, honestly, was a perfect way to describe the entire experience.
Once the lights went down, the screens displayed two little galaxy characters talking about their excitement for the concert, poking fun at the audience. Towards the end of the bit, the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey played as the screen zoomed into our galaxy and kept zooming in until it showed the pavilion with “ILYSFM” written on it. After this, the central hub of their “spaceship” displayed “The Woodlands,” a thoughtful touch that made the concert feel personalized for the audience.
The band opened with “Life Itself” from their album How To Be A Human Being. The lighting and visuals were stunning, with each song having its own design that fit perfectly while also tying into the space theme. The control modules and the main hub were used to project visuals throughout the show. My favorite moment involving the main hub was during “Tokyo Drifting,” when Denzel Curry’s feature was projected as he rapped. One of the most beautiful moments was when they performed “Lost In The Ocean.” Dave Bayley stood on a platform that lifted him up with a starry visual behind him. Instead of lighters, the audience raised their phone flashlights, creating a sea of stars. It was incredibly sweet to see couples dancing together, which added a heartwarming touch to the evening.
The coolest prop on stage, in my opinion, was the giant silver Saturn-like planet that descended during their final song before the encore, “Pork Soda.” The sound production was also phenomenal. The bass was so heavy I could feel it in my soul, and every instrument, vocal, and track was mixed with impressive clarity. Some of the songs even sounded better live, thanks to how well they were engineered.
The band, especially Dave, made a point to interact with the audience throughout the show. Dave even went to the lawn section and performed “Gooey” right in front of them, something I haven’t seen another artist do at the pavilion. It was kind of him to give the people in the back a brief front-row experience. A fan in the lawn section gifted Dave a cowboy hat with lights, and while thanking the fan, he joked that now he and his dog would match. One of the funnier moments came when Dave “conducted” the audience’s cheers, raising his arms to control when they should shout. Though it didn’t seem planned, once the audience caught on, they only cheered when his arms were up. These interactions added a lot to both my enjoyment and the audience’s overall experience.
Overall, this concert was incredible, and if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend seeing Glass Animals live. For their next concert dates or to listen to their music, visit their website: glassanimals.com.
Photo Gallery by Aaron Rodriguez:
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