Photo Credit: Darren Ludington
Written by DJ Brat
I was eighteen years old and sitting in a packed lecture hall when I bought tickets to see The Garden for the fifth time in my life. As one of my favorite bands to date, as well as one of my favorite live performers, it was no question that I would buy these tickets to see them at the Felton Music Hall a couple of months later. Little did I know, an upcoming global pandemic would set a different plan. Postpone announcements stacked on top of the next, last week was finally the moment my now 20-year-old self had been waiting for for years.
The garage-rock twin brother duo from socal does not know half effort and from the second they enter the stage you cannot ignore their assertive presence. Screaming at the top of their lungs, they never fail to play their heart out to their hordes of adoring fans. So much so that at this point in the tour their lead singer, Wyatt Shears, had lost his voice. He revealed this to the audience early and the duo worked hard to cover this issue up the whole show. By pointing the mic into the crowd and allowing the fans to scream the lyrics while he couldn’t (which I will admit I did participate in for a couple songs) as well as allowing Fletcher, the drummer and backup vocalist, to take lead on some songs, they put a convincing bandage over the obvious issue. Nonetheless, their antics on stage including doing full somersaults and individual stylized dance movements, still allowed their contagious energy to come across to the audience. Playing a balanced mix of old tunes as well as jams from their new album, they kept all their fans happy and allowed equal participation in the screaming of lyrics while moshing to your heart’s content.
If I could go back in time to that day two years ago while I was sitting in my lecture immediately compelled to purchase tickets to a supposed upcoming Garden show, I would make the same decision. I have never regretted the money I have spent going to see this band, and they go above and beyond to ensure every ticket holder feels the same. While their eclectic experimental music is not for all pallets, I do believe confidently that their shows are a place for everyone to express all pent up energy and feel solidarity in an adolescent-like angst. As I have watched The Garden grow in popularity, their commitment to their shows and fans has never waned. This show was, of course, no exception.
