“It starts in the theater, a night of encounters.”
When the dynamic trio that is Two Door Cinema Club finally basked in the lights of the stage and the warmth of the crowd, a legendary night began.
Native to Northern Ireland, Two Door Cinema Club is comprised of Alex Trimble as lead vocalist, Sam Halliday as the chief guitar and Kevin Baird on the bass. The band has been entrancing audiences all over the world since February of 2010, when they released their debut album Tourist History; on Nov. 11, they performed a sold-out show at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta.
Originally opened in 1931 as a Spanish-style movie theatre, the Buckhead Theatre is a venue with character, and its recent renovations create an excellent environment for a night of electronic-driven music.
Kicking off the night was the virtual indie rock group Bad Veins, featuring Benjamin Davis as lead vocalist and Jake Bonta as percussionist extraordinaire. Davis’s voice was tantalizing, leaving the audience wanting more of the group’s electro sound. Despite having a short set list, Davis was not short on energy, keeping the theater alive until the last note.
Delving into its exotic namesake, St. Lucia took the stage next with incandescent, synth-driven pop. Lead by the South African artist Jean-Philip Grobler, the group performed eight songs from its debut album released in September.
Grobler enlisted audience participation during “We Got It Wrong,” making it an enjoyable set for the audience. Resiliently finishing the penultimate show of their tour with “When the Night,” St. Lucia sparked exhilaration in the audience, perfectly setting the stage for Two Door Cinema Club.
Complete with facial hair, Hawaiian prints and Irish accents, Two Door Cinema Club charmed audience members of all ages after two lengthy opening acts. Thrilled to be back in Atlanta, Trimble thanked the city for never failing to produce a bad show, with Nov. 11 being no exception.
A majority of the performance consisted of tracks from the well-crafted 2010 album Tourist History. It was an impressive showcase of the beloved guitar work and classic, beguiling melodies that won the hearts of many, played with some of the band’s newer material.
Performed fairly early in the set, a recently released single reminded the audience’s hearts not to become too asphyxiated on love, nor their feet to the floor. Its viral beat and innovative riffs made “Changing of the Seasons” the perfect song with which to shamelessly dance the night away.
Several tracks from 2012’s Beacon were played next, as the hip-swinging rhythm of “Sun” and the subtle mystical style of “Pyramids” shifted the show into a slightly different tone.
The crowd was quickly enraptured again when the band erupted into “I Can Talk.” Flawlessly timed lighting matched the beat of the song, as lyrics flashed strategically across the set background. This track could have easily been the crowd favorite, and the band members appeared to get just as much enjoyment from this fast-paced song as the audience did.
Show after show, Two Door Cinema Club continues to create an environment of electrifying delight. Dawning glasses of wine in their hands and toasting to a good night, Two Door further proved to be a group of high sophistication. Fans remain willing to see the band perform countless times, enthralled by these true artists and their ability to never disappoint.
The evening was yet another success for the Atlanta live music scene, showcasing three excellent artists and an audience well cultured enough to eat up every euphonious moment. In the words of Trimble himself, “this is the life, then who’d argue?”