{"id":199,"date":"2014-11-07T20:00:17","date_gmt":"2014-11-07T20:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=199"},"modified":"2015-10-05T19:24:32","modified_gmt":"2015-10-05T19:24:32","slug":"bastille-nrg-arena-houston-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2014\/11\/07\/bastille-nrg-arena-houston-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Bastille – NRG Arena – Houston, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Robert B. Johnson (@RobertSatellite on Twitter) <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"Just over six months ago, I saw Bastille for the first time. A band torpedoing into popular music, Bastille was sold out for months going into an April show at House of Blues. This time, Bastille returned to Houston’s rarely-used multi-purpose venue, NRG Arena (formerly Reliant Arena).<\/p>\n

It’s unusual for a band to make two headlining appearances in the same city within a six month window. So, when Bastille pulled through Houston on November 7, I was expecting something different. Thankfully, Bastille produced it.<\/p>\n

The Sound<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right away, a major change was notable on stage. Unlike Bastille’s show in April, the band had a much stronger guitar presence on stage. Adding more guitar changed the show dramatically, fostering a lush sonic landscape for the band’s extensive setlist, while also feeding an extra bit on energy into the arena. The added guitar was especially notable on songs like “The Driver,” “The Draw, and “No Angels.”<\/p>\n

In fact, \u201cNo Angels\u201d was impressive for many reasons. “No Angels” is a unique cover that blends the music of The xx song “Angels” with the lyrics and melody of the TLC track “No Scrubs.” Although it might sound corny in writing, it was superb. The guitar was warm and thick with delay, perfectly capturing the essence of The xx track. The ambient nature of The xx sound was a bit of a departure for signature sound of Bastille. However, the way lead singer Dan Smith sang the “No Scrubs” vocal somehow perfectly captured the unique character of a Bastille song.<\/p>\n

Singer Dan Smith deserves a ton of credit. He sings effortlessly. From the first song, “Things We Lost in the Fire,” to the last song, “Pompeii,” every vocal riff was in key and silky smooth.<\/p>\n

Bastille clearly puts a lot of effort into live sound. From the incredible singing ability of Dan Smith to the slick drums of Chris Wood, the band takes great pride in the art of live music.<\/p>\n

The Atmosphere<\/strong><\/p>\n

NRG Arena was an interesting choice for the event. About 1 1\/2 times bigger than House of Blues, filling up NRG Arena would be tough. That’s especially true when you account for another show just six months earlier. Although not totally sold out, there was an impressive showing of fans. The floor was packed and about 3\/4 of the seats in the scaled were taken. Yet, despite being the second show in six months, the atmosphere was still electric.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"During “The Silence,” singer Dan Smith pointed a small camera to fans in attendance. As the lens scanned the crowd, the images of audience members enjoying the show could be seen on the big screen behind the band.<\/p>\n

Prior to “Oblivion,” Smith poked fun at his band, remarking “for those of you who know our music, you know we have a bunch of incredibly depressing songs on our album.” He then invited the crowd to hold up lighters and cell phones. In an instant, the arena flooded with the remarkable sight of lights swelling and swaying.<\/p>\n

For “Flaws,” Smith left the stage and joined the fans in attendance. After donning a hoodie on stage, he jumped to the floor and made his way through a sea of fans trying to get a moment with their idol.<\/p>\n

A Phenomenal Night<\/strong><\/p>\n

Putting on two performances in one city in six short months can’t be easy. But, for Bastille, it absolutely worked. The music sounded fuller, the set was longer, and the band was much more confident. In that time, Bastille refined its live performance to produce a special evening. With every show, it\u2019s clear they’re all getting a little more comfortable. Right now, it’s all engines go for Bastille.<\/p>\n

Setlist
\nThings We Lost in the Fire
\nWeight of Living, Pt. II
\nLaura Palmer
\nLaughter Lines
\nBad Blood
\nBlame
\nOverjoyed
\nPoet
\nThese Streets
\nThe Driver
\nThe Silence
\nOblivion
\nNo Angels
\nIcarus
\nThe Draw
\nFlaws<\/p>\n

Encore:
\nGet Home
\nOf the Night
\nPompeii<\/p>\n

Contact Robert at <\/u>robert@starsandsatellites.com<\/span><\/u><\/a> or @RobertSatellite on Twitter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Robert B. Johnson (@RobertSatellite on Twitter) Just over six months ago, I saw Bastille for the first time. A band torpedoing into popular music, Bastille was sold out for months going into an April show at House of Blues. This time, Bastille returned to Houston’s rarely-used multi-purpose venue, NRG Arena (formerly Reliant Arena)…. <\/p>\n

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