Alt-J concert review from earlier this year
Most people these days associate concerts to crazy shows, where everybody is sweaty and letting everything loose while the band goes mad on stage. Sure, this is an understandable idea of an amazing concert but when people asked me the familiar question "Hey, how was the concert?" after seeing Alt-J, I had a little bit of difficulty finding the proper response. Now, Alt-J has become quite well known from their first (and only) album that has gained recognition and nominations such as the Brit Awards or NME. Their music is much different in comparison to other new bands. Alt-J has the beautifully well-composed ensemble of the smooth but whiney lead vocals of Joe Newman, the ambient and melodic guitar, the funky bass riffs, and other numerous elements to create their gorgeous and dreamy sound. And to add on to these components, even the lyrics prove to be beautifully descriptive and clever, which comes as a surprise considering it's difficult to even understand the lead singer. When I arrived at the 9:30 club (my usual spot for my concerts) I had no idea what to expect. Listening to their music before I had no clue what the atmosphere was going to be like, what they even really look like, or even if the lead singer's voice actually sounds like it does on their recordings. But I did go in with high expectations, and they definitely met them. When Alt-J stepped on stage, I could hardly believe it was them; at first glance they looked like a teenage garage band. Nonetheless, that first impression was lost right when they played the first chord of "intro" and their beautiful light display turned on. Although they weren't jumping around on stage, head thrashing like some of the concerts I've been to, they did show subtle confidence when they spoke to the crowd or how they held themselves when they preformed. So it obviously wasn't much of an raging, crazy kind of show but the music and their stage presence were so captivating that I was standing there either completely awe-struck, or singing and swaying along with the crowd. It was a much different kind of togetherness, which is an unexplainable feeling unless you've been to a similar concert. So I guess the response to that regular question of "How was the concert?" can be "Amazing, but you had to be there."
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