Two Door Cinema Club with Overcoats at House of Blues 9-16-19
Sometimes headliners and openers don't seem to have any connection and lack relevance to the audience who's just paid to see their favorite band; but other times, you can tell that the two bands were paired with intention.
The latter was the case with Two Door Cinema Club and Overcoats. Though Two Door was clearly was the bigger draw for Monday's House of Blues show, one thing was immediately clear from audience reaction; Overcoats was a perfect fit. Over the immense noise of the set, surprised mutters of "Okay!" could be heard from people bobbing their heads to music they were upset wasn't already in their playlists.
Two Door's set was colorful in both style and content. For the entire show, a stage-wide screen played hypnotic animations and motion graphics. Between posing as a silhouette in front of the bright lights and sipping from a glass of wine, Alex Trimble brought an air of pretention to the show that had to be intentionally over the top. His gaudy blue suit and gold turtleneck made him stand out, flanked by his polo-wearing bandmates Sam Halliday and Kevin Baird.
Their set included fan favorites "What You Know" and "Something Good," as well as new material from 2019's "False Alarm." One standout track was "Satellite," which was accompanied by a particularly trippy video of an alarm clock ticking and rotating through time, eventually devolving into a Kubrick-esque color wheel.
Their blend of electronica with indie vocals and an ever-so-subtle dash of rock thrown in is perfect for radio play in 2019. Two Door delivered what the audience wanted, and four albums into their career, they don't seem to be slowing down or running out of ideas.
Overcoats put on a much more "old-fashioned" show, if performing their entire set live with no backing tracks can be called as such. Their punchy keyboard and bass work elevated them above most folk-rock bands and gave them an air of atmospheric ambiance. Frontwomen Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell danced in sync with each other, holding hands and singing into each other's eyes. The chemistry was undeniable, and their passion for their music was indelible.
Both bands played a selection of new music, and thanked each other for coming out on tour together. Check out Two Door Cinema Club's new "False Alarm" and find the rest of their tour schedule with Overcoats' here.