When Youth Lagoon’s latest LP Wondrous Bughouse was released, the term “headphone album” seemed to sit at the tip of everyone’s tongues. For those unfamiliar, “headphone album” refers to an album that is best listened to with headphones, as opposed to over speakers. As such, I couldn’t help but wonder how Youth Lagoon’s lavish layers of sound would translate to a live setting. Fortunately for me and everyone at Ding Dong Lounge’s Laneway sideshow on Wednesday night, Trevor Powers was able to capitalise on the “headphone album” components of his music and create an immersive live experience.
Onstage, Powers’ synth and keyboard setup was complemented by a bassist, guitarist, and drummer, all of which who managed to bring out and deepen the Boise, Idaho musician’s unique, dreamy sound. Powers started off the night with Mute, off of his latest effort and instantly captivated the attention of his eager crowd. Youth Lagoon unsurprisingly attracted a diverse fanbase, as it was apparent that he appealed to those who admired his technical proficiency as well as those who found meaning in the musician’s poetic lyrics, as evidenced by the amount of fans matching his every word.
The infectious Cannons, off of debut LP Year of Hibernation came early in the night, with Power’s nasally voice narrating the well-known track. Another high point came with Dropla, which saw Powers step away from his mini studio and face the crowd for one of the first times of the night to convincingly croon “You’ll never die,” with steadfast conviction.
With his attention to the keyboard and synths, in which the use of a number of ambient samples were utilised, it was understandable why the curly haired 23-year-old didn’t have much time to mush around with his crowd. This didn’t seem to work against him, though, as later on in the night when he asked if anyone had an alcoholic beverage to spare, seemingly everyone in the front row was suddenly feeling quite generous.
It wouldn’t have been a night without Raspberry Cane, which came a bit later in the hour long set. With the full band excavating each and every sound, the live rendition was a stunningly fitting way to cap off the evening. As such, Wednesday night’s show confirmed that there is a certain specialty in Youth Lagoon live show that doesn’t come through when confined to the limits of headphones.
BY LAUREN GILL
Loved: Move-watching.
Hated: How hot and sweaty it was.
Drank: Cider.
