The Magnolia in El Cajon was transformed into a “psycho-sensual” world from the moment that Beach House took the stage this past Tuesday night.
The sold-out show drew 1,200 attendees, who welcomed a midweek pick me up of melodic tunes.
The duo Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally were joined by James Berone, their live drummer, who maintained a strong chemistry and presence throughout the performance.
The crowd roared to welcome the duo but were quickly silenced by the angelic notes of the opening song, “Once Twice Melody.”
A hazy smoke perpetually filled the stage, enveloping the artists in a shroud of mystery and adding an element of dreaminess, a fitting rendition given their genre of dream pop. Bluish hues set the tone for their slower songs with a light and airy feel, while red creeped in for a few livelier and intense songs that were heavy on the bass. Towards the end, the screen lit up to resemble a starry night for their final, most popular songs.
Spotlights were perfectly placed, illuminating vocalist Legrand at times, or drawing the crowd eyes up as a chord changed.
It was as if the crowd was transported on a journey through the galaxy, through the deep endless blues to the hot fiery reds, a dichotomy of sorts, only to land amongst the stars, a convergence of light and love. Psychedelics filled the screen as lights traveled upwards, entrancing the eye.
“Their whole thing is taking you to their planet so we were all living on their planet, experiencing it and being taken away from this world as we know,” said concert-goer Joel Ryan.
The duo complemented the other seamlessly. Legrand’s intoxicating voice entranced the crowd, while Scally, hunched over his guitar, surrendered to the music and gave the crowd a passionately powered performance. Bernard, a stable supporting figure, added a dynamic element that really rounded out the pair’s chemistry.
Gabby Arguilez, a junior sustainability major at San Diego State University, has been a Beach House fan since middle school.
“I have been super into them since middle school,” said Arguilez. “I feel very nostalgic for them and when I saw they were going to be here I had to come.”
Capturing the show in all its glory was Smiles Meyer, a professional freelance photographer. The 26-year-old, based in L.A., carried three different cameras, two film and one digital to truly illustrate the night’s magic.
“Beach House is my favorite band,” said Meyer. “Reaching out to my favorite band and asking to shoot them is surreal. This is my first big show.”
Meyer’s deep connection with the artist’s music facilitated a more intimate shooting experience and truly translated into a stellar result.
“Art is all about connecting,” said Meyer.
Beach House walked off stage after performing “Myth”and their biggest hit, “Space Song,” with over 500 million plays on Spotify. The crowd demanded an encore and Beach House delivered, returning on-stage to thunderous applause.
The rainbow visuals lit up the screen one last time, as the band performed their final song. The crowd was held captivated once again. Despite remaining seated until this point, the energy of the crowd rippled through the venue throughout the performance and it overflowed at this moment, prompting everyone to their feet for a proper send off.
Legrand bid a last farewell to the crowd, thanking them for coming to their second to last show of all time. However, the duo has a reputation for irony and humor, so the statement was likely untrue.
Beach House fan Zach Reiss, left the venue starstruck.
“Beach House is the type of music that makes you feel emotions you can’t even describe,” Reiss said. “It’s beautifully entrancing, dreamy and emotional with a bit of a psychedelic feel.”
