Glass Animals took the stage in front of a packed audience at DC’s largest standing-room concert hall, Echostage, for night two of their “How To Be a Human Being” Tour.
Their minimalist stage design – emphasizing keyboardist Drew MacFarlane on the front left and drummer Joe Seaward on the right – featured just three larger-than-life cacti along the back wall and a huge disco ball over center stage. A small catwalk and a few raised blocks on stage allowed lead singer and guitarist Dave Bayley to interact with eager fans down in front.
The set opened with the first two singles from sophomore album “How to Be a Human Being”, Life Itself and Youth. Grounding the performance with previous hit Hazey, the group moved into two more new songs, Season 2 Episode 3 and Poplar Street. They sauntered through crowd favorites Toes and Black Mambo before closing their packed and energetic main set with lively Pools.
As an album itself, “How to Be a Human Being” is a full-fledged masterpiece of the genre pioneered with “Zaba”. Last year it was still nascent talent; this new album is “Zaba” matured and grown-up. The tribal drumlines, alternative guitar riffs, synth heavy acoustic fusion they started with “Zaba” continued here, and this unique compilation of sound is really something only Glass Animals can deliver: the fusion genre they established is so uniquely them, and it was executed flawlessly last night.
Anticipation skyrocketed as the group began playing the opening chords of Gooey sans Bayley’s usual introduction. What is a 15-second repetition on recording was drawn out for over a minute, and Bayley stood center stage grinning through all of it.
On just the second night of their second tour, it is already obvious that the group is more mature, more comfortable, and fully prepared to command the stage. The “Zaba” tour saw four talented guys with a few moderately successful songs and smash hit Gooey. In “How To Be a Human Being”, the boys are back – still lanky with tight jeans, jersey t-shirts and patterned button-downs – but tagline of song Gooey is realized: “Truth be told / I’ve been here I’ve done this all before”. Guitar (MacFarlane) and bass (Edmund Irwin-Singer) traded melodies, Bayley danced freely during every interlude, and the group’s stage presence was confident and full.
The crowd was engaged throughout, screaming mid-set with major hit Gooey, shouting with Dave on Hazey’s “I’m fucking loco” and singing along with Season 2 Episode 3’s memorable “My girl eats mayonnaise / From a jar when she’s getting blazed.” The Other Side of Paradise, the closest Glass Animals veers to a ballad on this new album, featured beautiful lyrics and provided a gentle break between their more fast-paced pieces.
The 90-minute set felt short – not for lack of songs, but because the entire 8,000 person audience would have stayed for another hour just to hear the band riff over the C Major scale. They opened a hasty encore with a reprise of their famed cover of Kanye West’s Love Lockdown before closing with new song Pork Soda, featuring hook “Pineapples are in my head.”
Love Lockdown – a staple from the “Zaba” tour – again saw Bayley hop off the stage to dance with the audience. This time, he promenaded down a bar on the right side of the concert hall before dancing his way back to the front. The unplugged and alternative take on the star rapper’s hit was expertly executed and well-timed, but a new cover in future sets would be fresh and appreciated.
How to Be a Human Being is a stepped-up and grown up sequel to Zaba. The lyrics are more poignant (each song was based on a person the band met on their Zaba tour last fall) and the tribal-themed riffs are consistent. This tour is a great step two for Glass Animals: fans can look forward to new songs that fit seamlessly with old hits and a developed and energetic command of the room. Moving forward, the group would do well to utilize Bayley’s obvious talent with faster-paced vocals and a more intense cover, but for now, "How to Be a Human Being" has it all: high-energy segments punched with strong drums and backed by beautiful keyboard. Great band, great album, great show. Definitely check out Glass Animals on the rest of their tour.
