Concert Review: Dreaming in Colour

It’s nearly 2:00 a.m., I sit on my couch still awake still reflecting on the evening I just experienced, and nearing the point of collapse. I returned to the dull hues of reality hours ago.

But when it comes time for me to lie down and close my eyes, believe me when I say my dreams will be in full, vibrant colour over what I witnessed earlier tonight.

On the latest stop on their national headlining tour, Los Angeles-based pop act Echosmith came play a show in the basement of Old National Centre – better known as  Deluxe. Of course, what’s a party without your friends? Joining them for the evening was another band from California that call themselves The Colourist.

It’s been a long road to try to get into this show. After skipping the Indiana date while they were on the Warped Tour last summer and having the Honda Civic Tour skip this city entirely, the third time is the charm (almost like a “dream” come true, if you will). I may not know a whole lot about them, but I’m still excited to finally catch them live.

Alright, it’s showtime. Allons-y.

Unlike the small, more laid-back crowd I saw in this room last Friday, this is a noticeably bigger, more excitable crowd. There are the high school-aged kids you’d typically see around any given stage at the Warped Tour, there are college-aged people with drinks in one hand and their significant other in the other, and there are even small children around the front barricade with their parents trying to help them get the best view. All come from different backgrounds and lifestyles, but all of them are here for one reason: the music.

7:30 p.m. rolls around, and as the light goes out and our first act takes the stage, cheers erupt from the crowd. They introduce themselves as The Colourist, and we’re off and running.

I can’t quite figure out what it is, but their set seemed like one of those rare perfect storms where the band is legitimately excited to be here and the audience seems just as pumped to see them. Maybe it’s the spring-like weather that we experienced today that put everyone in a good mood, maybe it’s because this is the first time The Colourist has ever come to the Circle City, maybe it’s because they have a lot of fans here. Whatever it is, this feels less like an opener and more like a band who has been around the block a few times.

From a performance standpoint, everything was very upbeat and cheery as the band led everyone through about 45 minutes of danceable indie pop. Their demeanor was very friendly, and they looked like they were having the time of their lives up on stage. In short, they looked like they were genuinely excited to play in front of a new audience. Drummer Maya Tuttle even got out her phone during the middle of the set to get a photo of the audience.

On the other side of things, the crowd was very accepting. Some danced to the music, while others clapped along merrily and gave loud applause. Seriously, you’d think this wasn’t an opening act, but maybe the kind of response you’d see on a headline tour of their own.

If this is what sets the bar for the evening, we’re in for one hell of a night.

Their set ends and it’s really heating up in this room (in the literal sense). The temperatures are rising, but it doesn’t look like anyone is too concerned. After all, it feels like spring outside, and the alternative is way worse.

Meanwhile, it’s business as usual around the Deluxe room. Some head to the hallway to visit the merch tables set up outside the doors, some make one last trip to the bar or the bathrooms. Me? I’m staying put because for once, I’m not stuck behind one of the pillars in here, and I can’t risk that.

Around the room is the loud chatter of excited concertgoers. Up front by the barricade, it resembles what it would look like if you stuffed a clown car full of photographers. Sound check is going on, and they’re starting to get into position. Is it showtime yet?

Not quite. Echosmith’s merch guy comes out – as excited as anyone can be – to tell everyone they can win free merch by texting a message to him, and he’ll pick several random names and reply to them. The room collectively got out their phones to text him (mine was out of service), and he bids us farewell. Back to the waiting game. For a moment, the letter’s ‘ECHOSMITH’ flashed on stage, but alas, it was just a test.

Before too long, the lights dim, the cheers erupt, and the band makes their way to the stage. Time to come together and rock this thing.

At one point, Echosmith apologizes for skipping our date on the Warped Tour, and quickly all is forgiven as they run through nearly an hour of crowd-pleasing favorites, ranging from dance-inducing pop songs to the smooth, Smiths-influenced rock from which they’ve drawn influences from. They even break out a Talking Heads cover at one point, though it was announced at the incorrect point in the set, but that was about the only gaffe of the evening.

On that note, almost everything they did seemed on-point: their overall enthusiasm, the chemistry they have amongst each other (they are all siblings, after all), how they connected with the crowd, and more importantly, how they’re able to channel everything to put on one entertaining show. Plus, if you incorporate an upright bass and a vintage microphone into a show, you’re automatically cool in my book.

And if the band seemed into it, the crowd seemed equally or more excited. They danced and clapped along almost throughout the entire set, they sang along and provided a true surround sound experience, two of them even got pulled up on stage to dance along to one of the songs (which the band joked about creating the Echosmith Matchmaking Service). Several even climbed up on someone else’s shoulders while the band posed for a photo on stage with the crowd in the background.

It wasn’t all about music. The band also showed their more philanthropic side. They announced they were partnering with World Vision to help build a school in the Philippines, and raising funds by selling autographed posters at the merch table. Needless to say, these were a hot seller after the show was over.

In addition to this, they also showed off their encouraging side, dedicating their hit song “Cool Kids” to anyone who ever felt left out or different. As the song drew closer to the end, the band exited the stage one by one until drummer Graham Sierota was left playing, all while the crowd continued singing the chorus like a church choir (and with about as much passion). Eventually, Graham leaves the stage and the audience is cheering and literally left in the dark with only the ECHOSMITH letter illuminating the room. Everyone claps, cheers, and chants “encore!,” and it doesn’t take long for the band to oblige.

They play one more song: the dance-happy “Nothing’s Wrong.” While they do that and the audience claps and sings along, large confetti-filled balloons are tossed into the crowd. It’s a lot like the person that brings a beach ball into the festival, except when these popped, confetti descends onto everyone. From there, the band bids the capacity crowd a fond farewell and sends us all on our way. Many head towards the merch table to buy the aforementioned poster, while others stood in line to meet The Colourist, who was signing at their table. The rest of us head for the doors. There was one person who decided to play the piano situation in between the stairs and from there a sing-along of “Drops of Jupiter” broke out, but it’s back outside to the calm, due hues in the world that is reality.

Now here I sit on my couch, still awake, still reflecting on the evening I just experience, and just nearing the point of collapse while Talking Dreams continues to spin on my record player. So, final verdict?

As I stated earlier, this felt like one of those rare instances where the crowd and the band are operating on the same wavelength. From the biggest fan to the biggest skeptic, everyone seemed to be having a great time, and the bands playing loved every minute of being up on that stage. In short, it was exactly what a show should be:

Fun.

It may be back to reality from here, but for tonight, it was great to introduce a little bit more colour into my life.

The Good:

I’ve touched up on it many times throughout this review, but for the sake of this section, let’s say it again: both bands looked like they don’t generally see Indianapolis too often and were excited at the prospect of playing for a new audience, and the crowd ate everything up. Both sides were on the same page, and when that happens, magic is created.

The Bad:

Very nitpick-y moments. Mostly that the bass seemed turned up way too high in the beginning (this was eventually corrected), and people kept bumping into me as I was trying to observe (the room was packed, so go figure).