Wow, I was completely wiped out after watching Washed Out perform at the Palladium Wednesday night. Quite frankly, I expected to see Ernest Greene alone onstage, posed behind a (Mac) laptop and singing melancholy lyrics, Robert Smith-style. Instead, he brought with him a full band—a rockin’ drummer, two synth player extraordinaires, and a funky bassist—who also provided backing vocals, which added a warm texture to the show.
When Greene performed “You and I,” the synth pads transported me to a dream world in a time warp that was reminiscent of 1985, while the song’s dancey bass beats kept me down on Earth. But the music wasn’t the only impressive part of the show. Ernest was also intriguing to watch. He would frequently bang his head against his iPad as if he were paying homage to the technology, to the machine that makes the sounds he hears in his head a reality. He was also very comfortable with the crowd. His smiles and energy really brought the party to the place, and I saw people dancing jigs to the music.
I was so stoked to hear Washed Out’s new single, “Amor Fati,” maybe because I have been listening to the song all week, but most likely because it’s just a head-banging, groovy song! As you can probably guess, I had a hard time taking notes and dancing! I enjoyed hearing “New Theory” live, and of course, “Feel It All Around,” my favorite song of Washed Out’s (thus far). Overall, the shows far exceeded expectations, and any future LA dates will definitely make it onto my calendar.
For more info on Washed Out:
