Everything Everything, Savoir Adore @ Sinclair 10/15

Sunday night, pop rock band Everything Everything finished their U.S. tour at the Sinclair in Cambridge. The UK group is hot off of their fourth studio album, A Fever Dream, where they once again take a stab at turning the turbulent political and social climate of the times into a loud, fast, and fun album. The band has been touring across the UK and Europe and made a brief stop here where they first hit the West coast and finished their time in America on the East coast.

The venue was set up with a stage about four feet off of the ground, allowing concert goers to get right up close to the performers. The crowd was a blend, full of nerdy people looking for some cool math rock, to middle-aged adults looking for a fun night out before the new work week began.

The opener, Savoir Adore, were loud, and a fun way to start the concert. They were really energetic, and did a great job getting the crowd pumped. Their music sounded a lot like an emotional track played in the trailer to a feel-good family movie. Although I wasn’t the largest fan of their songs, I really liked the booming percussion, and their energy was infectious.

After some set up time between sets, the lights dimmed, and the staccato keyboard that sounds the start of “Night of the Long Knives” began playing, and my heartbeat kicked up a notch. Out walked the band, in the matching tucked in orange shirts and blue jackets that I’ve seen in all of the promotional work for the concert.

The band played a variety of songs, and rightfully so. Their discography ranges from quick and intense to slower and more somber cuts. After “Night of the Long Knives,” Everything Everything continued with more fun and fast paced songs. They played some of their older, more popular tracks, such as “Get to Heaven,” and “Cough Cough,” mixing in two of the lead singles, “Can’t Do” and “Desire” off of their new album. The band strayed away from their first album, only playing “My Kz Ur Bf.” They stated previously in a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” that they were kind of sick of their first album, and it’s understandable to be tired of playing the same songs for seven years.

The band then slowed it down with some weirder cuts like “Big Game” and “Choice Mountain.” Frontman Jonathan Higgs then sat down at the piano, and the stage was bathed in purple light. He began to play the part for the title track off of the new album, A Fever Dream. A white spotlight came down as he began to sing the first verse. Then all of the other band members came in as the song picked up, and everyone sang along as the track came to an epic finish.

The pace picked back up from there, performing a couple tracks, “Kemosabe” and “Don’t Try,” from their second album. They ended the set with “Distant Past,” however nobody was too sad to see them go, since it was pretty obvious an encore was coming.

The group came back out, to much applause, and performed “Ivory Tower,” with Higgs and lead guitarist Alex Robertshaw jamming out on an epic guitar solo. They then finished (for real this time) with “No Reptiles,” with the bass drum driving the intensity, and the audience singing together about feeling like a fat child in a push chair.

Overall, Everything Everything put on a hell of a show. Higgs was energetic and having so much fun that you couldn’t help but enjoy yourself. Robetrtshaw was precise and technically accurate on some intricate guitar riffs. Michael Spearman on drums and Jeremy Pritchard on bass holding a steady groove and serving as a solid backbone for the group. All of the members did their part to put on a show that both they and audience members enjoyed. I look forward to more music from the group, and their return to the States.

-Matt Bandel