The 1975 is an English rock/synth-pop/indie/alternative band that began to really appear in the music scene when their first and self-titled album, The 1975, released in 2013.
Calgary, excitingly, was part of their North American tour for their new album that came out this year, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It.
Knowing I was going to see one of my favorite bands took this concert to another level. So much so, I kid you not, my friends and I stood in line at the Grey Eagle Event Centre at 7 AM for an 8 PM show. Call us crazy, but the 13-hour wait was worth it.
After spending the whole day in a line up, studying, doing homework, eating, singing along to the band’s songs, and almost getting to meet them when their tour bus arrived, it was finally 7 PM. Since my friends and I were one of the first 100 people in line, we got to go inside the venue 5 minutes before everyone else. This was to our advantage as we got as close to the band as we could: front row, right against the barricade. Being so close to the stage, I finally realized that this was happening. After months of counting down, this was actually happening.
After waiting another hour, The 1975’s opening act, 070 Shake, a New Jersey-based artist, played a 30-minute set.
She and her DJ got the crowd pumped with songs about love, rebellion, and being yourself. While her music was personally not my favorite, we could tell how passionate she was and supportive of the band she was opening up for.
It would only be another 30 minutes until the band came on, and I could feel the energy building up in the room. Like I said, this was actually happening.
I think the best part of any concert is the sudden realization of what is about to unfold right in front of you. When those lights dimmed and the smoke machines turned on, believe me when I say I had that revelation. When The 1975 played their opening song, “Love Me,” and their lead singer, Matty, waved back at me when I stuck my hand out and waved it in his direction, this was real and I was ready for it to keep being real for the next hour and a half.
The band, with all the talent and exuberance I could have expected from them, performed songs from their new album like “She’s American,” “A Change of Heart,” “This Must Be My Dream,” and “Somebody Else.”
Hilariously (and relevantly) so, with Calgary being their first Canadian stop on their tour, Matty took the time to acknowledge the U.S. Presidential race before performing “Loving Someone,” a song most would say to be a direct response to current events like the Orlando club shooting and Syrian refugee crisis.
Matty even goes to say,
We have this platform to all these young, hopefully liberal, Americans everywhere. So we’ve been saying, ‘make your vote count,’ but you’re Canada, you’re fine.
As the night continues, the band plays some of their instrumentally-driven songs like “Lostmyhead” and a short version of their title song, “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It.” The awe I, and I’m sure everyone else around me, felt seeing and being part of their beautiful background graphics and strobe lighting, was indescribable. Those aspects perfectly accompanied the mood of the songs, and I had to spend a few seconds every once in a while taking it all in:
Even with the hype and happiness of finally getting to listen to their new songs live, no The 1975 concert would be complete without throwing it back to the songs that launched their super-stardom.
Classics like “Chocolate,” “Heart Out,” and “Girls” made an appearance on the set list, which were much to the excitement of the crowd as we sang as loudly as we could. My favorite moment of the night was when they played “Fallingforyou,” the slow, yet enchanting song that made me realize how much I adored The 1975. Even without the appeal of their culturally-aware lyrics, concert aesthetics, and “hipster” personalities, just this song by itself would have made the band a keeper in my long and varied list of favorite artists.
So why am I calling this concert review “a change of heart?” I think when you find something worth your time and effort, there’s something that finally clicks. Maybe it was when I was doing homework in a concert lineup, running with no shoes on towards the tour bus, or just being in a room with so many passionate people, something clicked that hadn’t when I was just listening to The 1975 on my way to school.
I had a change of heart in the sense I began to appreciate them more. When you finally discover a band or artist that makes you wonder how anyone else before them could have measured up, wanting to grow leaps and bounds with them is unmistakable. When the night was coming to an end, the band did not disappoint with their final song, “The Sound.” Matty asked the crowd to jump during the song, so when the concert ended, I didn’t even question why I felt like my legs were about to give out and my voice was hoarse. All I knew was it finally happened.
Best wishes,
Kandace 🙂
*Images are mine unless stated otherwise.*