CHVRCHES @ The Anthem - 10/18/2018
CHVRCHES at The Anthem (Photo by Mauricio Castro / @themauricio)
Lauren Mayberry wants us all to feel bigger than the present moment. Halfway through the show, she declared, “Tonight is the night where we get to escape from all that bullshit and be the Powerpuff versions of ourselves.” CHVRCHES’ third album Love is Dead feels bigger than anything they’ve done before, and their performance at The Anthem is the biggest they’ve played in DC thus far. The band’s sound has become more streamlined since the days of their debut album The Bones of What You Believe, but their aspirations have always remained the same - to empower the masses through music.
Mayberry has come into her own as a lead singer along with bandmates Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. No longer confining herself behind a planted microphone stand, Mayberry sang with visible conviction and energy, spinning and headbanging as strobe lights flashed at the back of the stage. They included a healthy number of songs from their debut album in their Anthem setlist, including the haunting track “Science/Visions,” a song that still stands out amongst everything else in their musical repertoire. On live staple “Under The Tide,” Doherty took the lead on vocals and launched into frenzied skipping across the stage and excitedly riled up the crowd accordingly. And though some longtime fans might dismiss the mainstream leanings of their latest album, “Graffiti,” “Never Say Die,” and “Get Out” were practically meant for crowds of this size. With fists in the air from both Mayberry and fans, the songs induced the feeling of what Mayberry wanted - feeling something bigger than ourselves.
Love Is Dead is out now through Glassnote Records.
Opening for CHVRCHES was Los Angeles group Lo Moon. Taking cues from Depeche Mode and Talk Talk, their performance was full of atmospheric and buzzy synths straight out of the 80s and catchy melodies propelled by Rhye-like falsettos. Their debut self-titled album is out now through Columbia Records.
