Sunday Selection: Glass Animals

Glass Animals.  trefpool.com

These fellows have a show coming up in a few weeks at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, so it's an excellent moment to celebrate both a fantastic artist and a fantastic venue.

Let's start with the band.  Glass Animals, a quartet from the United Kingdom that brands itself as "indie rock" entered the American music scene in 2014 with the release of their first full-length album, Zaba, and the massive success of their first single Gooey (I guarantee you've heard this song - for more than a year I thought it was called Peanut Butter Pie because of a hook that prominently features the phrase "peanut butter vibes").

The first thing to know about Glass Animals is that they have a niche, and they execute it exceptionally well.  The music is down-tempo poppy EDM; no trap drum explosions or massive dubstep bass drops.  They have more in common with with the pioneers of the genre like Portishead and Massive Attack than most of their contemporary acts, and as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing.  They avoid building around their songs singular epic moments, and instead present a totally polished product that makes you want to slide into a silky groove and dance the hours away.  You get luxurious, seductive vocal lines (think Prince in his sexiest moments), a patient but relentless beat, and intoxicatingly simple hooks that all invite you on a journey that you'll be happy to take.

The second thing to know about Glass Animals is that, at least on Zaba, they don't step far outside of their comfort zone.  They have a sound and they do it well; I expect their show to feel like a three-hour dance party, one beautiful wave to ride from start finish.

Now, the Buckhead Theatre.  It used to be called the Roxy, and it used to be a total dump - the aesthetics matched up pretty well with the Masquerade.  For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, imagine unpainted floor and walls, bare splintery plywood, and a dark musty aroma.

At some point in the last few years, they did a total renovation and transformed the dilapidated Roxy into something approximating an updated version of the Fox Theatre.  You'll show up for a concert in t-shirt and jeans and feel completely under-dressed, but the huge opening atrium appointed in silks and marble will make you feel like you've come to a European Opera House.  All the shows here are eminently affordable, with most clocking in below $30.  It will feel like a steal, when you walk into the concert space and see how close every spot in the room feels to the stage.  The Buckhead Theatre has all the extravagance of a black-tie experience mixed with the intimate intensity of a backyard show.  It might be my new favorite Atlanta venue.

Glass Animals' October 12th show at the Buckhead Theatre is already sold out I discovered when I tried to buy my tickets this morning.  Given the quality of the act and the space, I suppose it isn't surprising.  I'll be out front trying to snag an extra ticket, and something tells me I won't be the only one.