NonCOMM recap: Gang of Youths drive out depression with guitars and a dance party

Gang of Youths | photo by Senia Lopez for WXPN | www.senialopez.photography

“We have one more seven minute depression fest for you,” David Le’aupepe, the Aussie-born lead singer of Gang of Youths, began as he introduced one of the last songs of the night. I thought he was kidding. Depressing? This was the most uplifting stuff I’d heard in a long time.

With a perpetually building beat, shredding guitars, and soaring vocals, Gang of Youths’ music doesn’t let you wallow in your sadness, it summons you to tackle it and turn it into a dance party. Which is exactly what the charismatic frontman demonstrated as he jumped into the crowd and brought the party to the dance floor during song “Let Me Down Easy.”

The band’s six-song setlist featured driving anthems from last year’s Go Farther In Lightness, as well as the band’s 2015 debut The Positions, and closed out night one with massive energy. Listen back to the performance and check out photos from the set below.

Setlist
Fear and Trembling
What Can I Do If The Fire Goes Out?
The Heart Is A Muscle
Let Me Down Easy
The Deepest Sighs, The Frankest Shadows
Vital Signs