UK electro-rockers Bastille captivate the Liacouras Center audience

There’s only one word to describe the Bastille show Tuedsay night: captivating. Anyone, including myself, who was inside the Liacouras Center yesterday was a captive of their music, but unlike most people who are held captive, we didn’t want to leave. These four musicians – frontman Dan Smith, Kyle Simmons on keys, Will Farquarson on bass, and Chris Wood on drums – are excellent performers that make their songs even more enticing.

One of the first things you notice seeing Bastille live: everybody in the band is in love with percussion instruments, especially Smith. There were few moments throughout the show that he did not have a drumstick in his hand, hitting a tom tom. The drums that gives the music so much intensity, and it was seen all throughout the concert. With all of the beats and heartache in the lyrics, the show made me think of Kanye West album’s 808’s & Heartbreaks, just not as dark. But just like that amazing album, Bastille’s Bad Blood is an incredible piece of work that fuses the bandmates’ energies, rhythms, and emotions.

Besides the fact that these young men have such great songs, what was even better was watching them perform. At times I couldn’t tell who was more excited during the concert, the fans or the performers. If you were there, you could see the excitement from these guys that they were living out their dreams. That honestly may have been the best part of the show.

Opening act Grizfolk put on a great set that set the mood for Bastille’s performance with energy and emotional song-craft, especially on “Waiting For You” with its lyrics “When you listen to your soul, do you feel me? / Do you hear me in your heart?” It’s know wonder why Bastille chose to have these guys perform with them on their tour.

The finale was simply fantastic. Bastille brought out Grizfolk to help them sing their hit single “Pompei.” The crowd, including myself, almost lost their minds once the beat dropped and you heard Smith sing “But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?” Bastille gave a wonderful performance to their Philadelphia fans. We can’t wait for them to come back & perform more captivating music.