Since the release of The Year of Hibernation, Youth Lagoon’s Trevor Powers has become something of an indie darling; rave reviews have come from Pitchfork, Metacritic, BBC Music, and, in fact, this writer. After my review, I was privileged enough to interview Powers, who, at just 22, proved mature beyond his years, amiable, and ambitious. It was with high expectations that I ventured to T.T. the Bear’s Place in Cambridge on Thursday night to bring my coverage of Youth Lagoon to its natural conclusion – a live show.
The night, unfortunately, did not begin on the most positive of notes, as opening act Gem Club turned in a performance that was wholly underwhelming and, in all honesty, rather dull. Things picked up as the second act, Australian 3-piece Youth Magic, began their set. Combining drum-machine beats, laptop-derived sound effects, electric guitar, and bongo drums, the Aussies presented a truly captivating sound that, at times, would not have been out of place on a Jamie xx record. The trio capped off an impressive performance with the truly brilliant ‘Night in the Ocean,’ a song that sent the crowd of a few hundred into full-on dance mode. Given their live performance, Youth Magic are without a doubt a band worth looking into and keeping a sharp eye on for the future.
By the time Powers – accompanied by his “good friend Logan” on guitar – walked on stage at about 11:30, there was a palpable sense of excitement and anticipation within the audience. The pair began their 45-minute set with ‘Cannons,’ which served as a wonderful opener. Before moving on to ‘Posters,’ Powers politely asked the sound man for “more beats,” which really gave the audience an idea of the night Powers had planned.
For an album so highly characterized by its piano/keyboard-driven music and its lo-fi and reverb-heavy qualities, Powers and Logan performed admirably well when it came to the task of filling out the venue. In fact, given that many of the songs were complimented by crashing drum and cymbal loops, Logan’s aggressive guitar playing, and Powers’s constant stomps of his bass pedal, Youth Lagoon, against all odds, actually sounded heavy. True to the album, the songs all began rather quietly and in a subdued manner, but the conclusions they reached went far beyond what the album could only hint at; Powers, particularly on ‘Montana,’ really went for it, forcing his vocals to their limits, swaying quickly atop his stool, and stomping his suede-ankle-boot-covered feet on the wooden stage.
Without question the highlight of the set was the night’s closer, ‘July.’ By far the album’s best song, ‘July’ also proved to be Powers’s shining moment. The song began with Powers playing a quiet keyboard refrain as Logan stood to the side and watched. Within two minutes, Logan was bashing away at his strings and Powers was rocking back and forth on his seat as the drum loop entered the fray before the 22-year old erupted with the album’s lyrical apex, which nearly everyone shouted along with him: “If I’d never let go, then only God knows where I would be now/I made a bridge, between us then I slowly burned it/Five years ago, in my backyard I sang love away/Little did I know, that real love had not quite yet found me.”
Powers and Logan walked off to rapturous applause from an audience that was well and truly impressed. Youth Lagoon, just months after releasing their debut album, performed like a well-polished, experienced band. With a grin on his face, Powers thanked the crowd for the final time from the side of the stage and waved good night — a night sure to be remembered.
Watch a video of Youth Lagoon performing ‘July’ from an earlier tour stop in Phoenix.
