Young the Giant blows minds at Showbox Market (Photo Slideshow)

by Arlene Brown

Young the Giant made Showbox Market their home for two nights.  And boy, did they make themselves at home.  I caught their show on Saturday (April 5, 2014,) the first of the two nights.  This was my third time seeing the band, but, my first time seeing them up close and through my camera lens.   Lead singer Sameer Gadhia is really easy on the eyes, especially when he dances and moves to the music.  Luckily, he has the equally impressive voice to match.  And doubly lucky, he’s surrounded by a very solid and tight sounding crew of musicians, who can also dance and move with the best of them.

There wasn’t anything calm or passive about their set.  The highlights for me were their established big hits, “It’s about Time,” “Camera,” and “Cough Syrup.”  Equally impressive hits from their new album, Mind over Matter include:  “Anagram,” “Crystalized,” “Eros,” and “Firelight.”  The mix of songs is  tied together with signature Young the Giant strengths, solid drums, solid bass, solid guitars, and – did I already mention the hypnotizing vocals?  And yes, solid.  Smooth, hard hitting, in your face, rock.  There wasn’t anything off with their sound, lights,  or moves.  The energy was probably the highest I’ve experienced in a show in a very long time.  Not a “mosh pit” kind of energy, but an “every single person was dancing, singing, screaming, and screaming some more,” kind of energy.  The whole night.

Just when we thought the night couldn’t get any more energetic, it was time for the encore.

Let’s stop for a minute.  Encores are usually, but not always, an established fan-favorite song, one that everyone stays to hear.  With a band like Young the Giant, they have multiple hits, and most we’d already heard during the first part of the show.  So, when they returned to the stage to even more screaming (my ear plugs weren’t even close to helping at this point,) we were absolutely blown away when instead of yet another Young the Giant hit, we heard a tribute to the late, great Kurt Cobain.  That moment in Showbox with this band and the 1,200 other fans is a memory I will never ever forget.  Thanks guys.  Truly.

Now, the rest of the encore:  Granted, I’d seen “My Body” twice before, so I was not surprised that the crowd got even more crazed, if it were even possible at this point. Showbox was on the verge of just self-igniting.   After the last chord was played, and the last drum was beat (those poor drums were annihilated beautifully, by the way) everyone in the place felt as if we had just run a marathon while screaming for 90 minutes.  And, one would think we would be tired, exhausted, ready to pass out.  But no.  We didn’t want Young the Giant to quit.  Our bodies wanted more.  A whole lot more.

So, I’m left with memories of one of my favorite concerts ever, and their new album, which I suggest you pick up.

————–

We were privileged to see Vance Joy open for Young the Giant.  Lead singer, James Keogh, has one of the widest-ranged voices I’ve ever heard.  His Australian good looks, smarts, and that accent definitely got the crowd’s attention, and were like a warm hug embracing us,  preparing us for the rest of the evening.  “Riptide,” “Emmylou,” and “From Afar” were some of my favorite songs from the set.

[SlideDeck2 id=28860 iframe=1]