Last Friday, Twin Shadow played the second of its two sold-out shows in New York City. Twin Shadow played at the Music Hall of Williamsburg with Niki and the Dove, and the two bands performed sets filled with enough visual and auditory grandeur to send anyone in the audience into a state of euphoria.
The Music Hall could barely contain opener Niki and the Dove’s lively performance. Quirky vocalist Malin Dahlström constantly moved around the stage, singing her lungs out in a gorgeous Swedish-accented voice while keyboardist Gustaf Karlöf laid down the intricate, synth beats with nonchalance.
The crowd reacted enthusiastically to Niki and the Dove, with several of the audience members singing along to the catchy tunes. A few die-hard fans imitated Dahlström’s wild dance moves, especially during “Last Night” when she brought out a pair of fans in color-contrasting outfits to perform an eccentric interpretive dance. Near the end of the set, Twin Shadow’s frontman George Lewis, Jr. accompanied Niki and the Dove on the guitar during “DJ, Ease My Mind.” The combined performance received a thunder of appreciative hollers, making it a tough act for the band to top with their remaining songs.
At the start of Twin Shadow’s set, a lone George Lewis, Jr., clad in his suit and peacock haircut, strolled onstage.
“We’re gonna start out slow, guys, alright?” he announced to the crowd and proceeded with a soulful, solo version of “The One.” Dragging out the last note of the song, the rest of the band joined him in breaking the silence with a rock rendition of “When We’re Dancing.”
Twin Shadow’s energy during their fast-paced dance track like “Golden Light” and “Five Seconds” made for an enjoyable, if slightly intimidating show. It was Lewis’ stage presence and interactions with the crowd that made it memorable. After slamming on his guitar at the end of “Slow,” he spoke to the crowd in a familiar manner, declaring Brooklyn better than Manhattan and bashing on Boston. To top it off, Lewis promised to leave his house for a Brooklyn apartment if the crowd screamed when the band started “At My Heels.” A cascade of black and gold balloons fell from the ceiling, bringing smiles across the crowd members’ faces while Twin Shadow spastically jammed.
Appearing for an encore, Twin Shadow began with its haunting but melodic hit “Castles in the Snow,” popularized by an Urban Outfitters-released playlist. Before finishing with the closing number, Lewis called out for Niki and the Dove to join his band on stage for a show and tell. From the first strum of the bass riff, the crowd realized the mystery song was Queen and David Bowie’s unmistakable “Under Pressure.” For the next four minutes, the Music Hall became an upbeat and euphoric dance jam. The bands nailed the cover perfectly, and unable to top this performance, Twin Shadow said goodnight to Brooklyn for its trip to the less-exciting Boston.
Matt Levine is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].