Ready for some serious feels?
The Milky Chance and X Ambassadors show at Echostage covered the whole spectrum of emotion: from happiness to heartbreak, and from hesitancy to headstrong perseverance.
These performances, by two pretty different bands, both remind us how nice it is to be reassured that we are not alone in the sometimes stumbling, sometimes triumphing road along our way to “adulting.”
We were young souls
On the junk-yard
Now we are stunned minds
Full of junk-goods
But I feel your heartbeat
Just like mine
”Flashed Junk Mind,” Milky Chance
If you need a performance that’s going to trigger you in all the right ways, X Ambassadors is just the group to see. Starting the night off, their lyrics remind you how to find your own strength. Their sound gets you pumped to go the distance.
And at the end of it, you feel like someone just translated your insecurities and dreams into a platinum sound.
So, all hail the underdogs
All hail the new kids
All hail the outlaws
Spielbergs and Kubricks
It’s our time to make a move
It’s our time to make amends
It’s our time to break the rules
Let’s begin…
”Renegades,” X Ambassadors
X Ambassadors songs are inspiring, get stuck in your head, and their fans knew to get to the show early for their early show. These guys are already too big to be openers. You definitely will recognize “Renegades” from that catchy Jeep commercial or from the cover of “Jungle” by the Pitch Perfect cast. And once you start listening to the rest of their first full-length album, “VHS,” you’ll hear why the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Zedd have already been eager to collaborate with them.
Lead singer Sam Harris quickly lost the leather jacket he had on, to the delighted screams of many of the ladies in the audience. He proved to be a rocking showman: with a couple of saxophone solos, a few guitar changes, climbing the scaffolding, and jumping into the crowd to shake hands.
His older brother, Casey Harris, is the keyboardist, blind since childhood, and grew up as a piano tuner before convincing Sam (with the help of the other bandmates), that he should be part of the group. X Ambassadors’ website quotes Sam remembering, “They all said, ‘Sam, your brother is a better musician than all of us. Please!’ So I caved.”
X Ambassadors are coming back to town in October, headlining their show at the 9:30 Club.
“This next song is about feeling bigger than you ever thought you could ever feel, which is how we feel right tonight here with you,” explained Sam Harris to a packed crowd before diving right into “Giants.”
After their show, the place was full, and the wait for Milky Chance seemed way too long. But maybe that was just the eagerness kicking in.
A little before 9:30 p.m., orange, red, and yellow lights flooded the stage, revealing a collection of tall, native-looking totems behind the band. Milky Chance started off their set with “Stunner.”
“Let’s have some fun together,” Clemens Rehbein greeted everyone, his Sonic the Hedgehog-like hair standing at a perfected height. DJ Philipp Dausch shepherds the electronic production half of band. Meeting in high school, this German duo has been breaking borders together since 2012.
Fans came prepared, waving German flags. And by the smell of Echostage, fans also brought a few other (ahem) green accessories that usually accompany low-octane jam-sessions.
Milky Chance stirs up a cocktail of folk, reggae, and electro — and are a testament to the power of the internet’s ability to launch careers. In 2013, they had only performed live twice when they started creating their debut album, “Sadnecessary.” After uploading a few tracks to Soundcloud and YouTube, they captured the ears of millions and went viral. When they announced a tour, they sold-out performances all over the world.
“For this next one, if you could put your phones down,” requested Rehbeins before breaking into a stripped-down, intimate version of “Feathery.”
Of course, the whole place came down when the monstrous hit “Stolen Dance,” which has the platinum certs to prove just how popular this song has become. To think, it was recorded in a homemade studio at Rehbein’s house.
At the end of the night, Rehbein’s wished us all peace and love. The night’s danceable sound, with thoughtful lyrics, showed just how much both these groups love listening to and making music. And we love them for that.
Post by Cristina Rayas, Photos by Toby Mues