THE BAND PLAYED HISTORIC HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM WITH SUPPORT FROM BEST COAST

Seattle, WA founded and now Charleston, SC based, Band of Horses played a packed house at The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

LA darlings Best Coast got the night started with a fun set consisting of new and old tracks. Singer-songwriter Bethany Cosentino often spoke to the crowd between songs, creating this conversation to gage what fans were excited to hear. “Let’s go back to the early 2010s” Cosentino repeated several times much to the crowd’s amusement, playing tracks off their debut LP, Crazy for You.

Having seen the band play a sold out show of their own at the Wiltern in LA, it was refreshing to see tracks like “California Nights” and “Our Deal” played to a hometown crowd. This appreciation was double downed on once Cosentino stated that it was the band’s first show indoors since the pandemic began, and according to the band’s Twitter, it was her first live performance since turning 35. Needless to say, the band sounded perfect, with the performance serving as a tease of their own solo tour beginning next year!

I waited at the barrier for the room to go dark which commenced band of Horses to begin. Singer Ben Bridwell took a seat at the front of the stage, greeting the crowd with a huge smile. “Hey y’all. Thanks for coming out!” he eagerly stated as the rest of the band took to their respective instruments. “This is the first song off our first album,” Bridwell spoke before going into “The First Song” off Everything All the Time.

The band’s blend of alternative rock with more folk tendencies made for music you could bop your head to while others danced. Newer single “Crutch” sounded even better live as fellow folk-rock musician Neil Young might argue, and fan favorites like “Casual Party” and “Is There a Ghost” brought excitement that filled the 4,000 capacity room.

The last time I saw Band of Horses perform was back in 2016 at a radio station exclusive event to promote their latest release at the time, Why Are You OK. The concert was an acoustic set, which fits the band well although some may have missed the electric guitar capabilities. I for one was amazed at that set, so when Bridwell stood alone with an acoustic guitar and a single spotlight on stage to perform “St. Augustine,” it brought back great memories of that past time.

Immediately switching up the tone of the night after that track, the rest of the band walked back on stage to bring more of those electric guitar capabilities I mentioned before with “Laredo.” The audience grooved to the track with now three guitarists playing in unison. Third guitarist Ryan Monroe and Bridwell engaged in a guitar pick slinging contest throughout the song, concluding with picks being flicked to lucky fans in the crowd.

The rest of the set included a cover of INXS track “Never Tear Us Apart” and “The Funeral” before heading into an encore. With the clever banter and witty remarks, Bridwell and company seemed cozy in Hollywood, and from the reaction’s of the audience, Band of Horses are welcome anytime. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!