“Another Go Around” with Beach House at House of Blues Anaheim

Beach House performing at House of Blues, Anaheim by Sophie Prettyman-Beauchamp

The indie royalty enchanted an overjoyed, packed house just across the street from the Happiest Place on Earth, giving Mickey Mouse himself a run for his money

The last time I saw a show at the House of Blues in Anaheim, I was about 12 years old seeing a Selena Gomez concert in Downtown Disney. A lot’s changed since then–the venue moved across the street from Disneyland, and I outgrew Disney pop stars and entered my emo phase, then several years later, my indie rock era, marked by an ardent appreciation of Beach House. After a decade of loving the Baltimore duo, it’s clear to me that this is more than a phase.

Despite my long-standing relationship with Beach House’s discography, I’d never had the chance to connect with their music live until now. I squeeze my way through the sold-out crowd (it’s so tight that it felt more than sold-out) with just five minutes to spare before their set, my heart pounding in excitement. The room goes black, and the restless audience roars with anticipation as the place where the stage once was transforms into a starry corner of outer space. The perpetually fog-shrouded figures of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally emerge in sparkling attire along with drummer James Barone, and the shimmering opening notes of the titular “Once Twice Melody” crescendo into orchestral resplendency.

Alex Scally of Beach House performing at House of Blues, Anaheim by Sophie Prettyman-Beauchamp

Swaying in unison, we are all transfixed by Scally’s gossamer guitar tones, sweeping synths, and Legrand’s dreamlike, iconic voice emanating from the monitors–the sound is immersive, interdimensional. The two shadowy figures groove against the celestial light show behind them, Legrand gesticulating like some cosmic wizard summoning the sonic powers of the universe. They break into the gently euphoric “Lazuli,” the first Beach House song I’d ever heard. I rock from side to side in the photo pit, in awe over how lucky I am to be standing right in front of them, capturing this moment.

From one fan favorite to the next, the rest of the set is a comprehensive overview of some of the best Beach House’s discography has to offer. They play more selections from Once Twice, including the epic “Pink Funeral,” as well as one-off single “Lemon Glow” and the quintessential “Space Song.” An unexpected but welcome choice, the three-piece performs “Gila” off of their 2008 record Devotion–this track and album are among some of my oldest favorites. Just when it seems that we can’t levitate any higher, Legrand and Scally treat us to encores of “Myth” and “Over and Over,” gently depositing the audience back on this plane. I can once again feel my body bound to Earth by gravity, but somewhere between the first starburst and the final supernova, part of me stayed behind to follow them into the dark, or whatever lies beyond it.

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

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