April 28 was the second day of The 1975’s North American tour following the release of their newest album, ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it.’ The concert was held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Center in Los Angeles. The opening show was the previous night, and sold out so quickly that a second show had to be added; that show sold out as well.
The doors opened at 7:00 pm, but a line had formed hours before then. Teenagers and adults crowded into the auditorium, packing close together in hopes to reach the stage. At 8:00 pm, the show began. The opening act was The Japanese House, a London based band that combined electric undertones with alternative beats and ethereal harmonizing. Their set lasted for half an hour, and they played multiple songs from their two albums, ‘Clean’ and ‘Pools to Bathe In.’ They also played their newest single, ‘Teeth.’ The Japanese House performed well and did an excellent job of getting the crowd excited to see The 1975.
As the clock struck 9:00 pm, The 1975 took over the stage, playing first ‘Love Me’,’ then ‘Ugh!’ from their newest album. They balanced the show with songs from their self-titled album and their most recent album. The 1975 took full advantage of the use of lighting effects and backgrounds to fit the moods perpetuated from each album. Whilst playing songs from ‘The 1975,’ the backdrops were muted colors, consisting of greys, blacks, whites, dark blues, highlighted by clouds of smoke. When they played songs from ‘I like it when you sleep…’ hues of pink, purple, and aqua colored the stage and audience. True to the original aesthetic of The 1975, each background incorporated a rectangular pattern, and Matt Healy stood in front of it all drinking a bottle of wine. The other songs they played included ‘Heart Out,’ ‘So Far (It’s Alright),’ ‘She’s American,’ ‘Menswear,’ ‘The Ballad of Me and My Brain,’ ‘fallingforyou,’ ‘Somebody Else,’ ‘Robbers,’ ‘You,’ ‘Loving Someone,’ and ‘Girls.’
They also performed ‘Me,’ a song that frontman Matt Healy felt very passionately about. He asked the audience to put away their phones for the duration of this song. “I promise you, this moment will be more potent than anything that you can find on the other end of a phone screen,” Healy said, before beginning the song. In a digital age, it was truly magical to see a darkened crowd devoid of the glassy glow of hundreds of cell phones. It was amazing to feel that song, in real life, with the crowd and band becoming one person and swaying and singing in sync.
Another song performed was ‘Paris,’ in which Healy preached that after the recent attacks, we should be grateful for the freedom we have. He stressed how truly blessed and beautiful our lives were, and to sing that song in tribute and respect for those who don’t have the same privileges we do.
The concert ended with four encores: ‘If I Believe You,’ ‘Chocolate,’ ‘The Sound,’ and ‘Sex.’ The crowd went wild, with the front and middle pushing forward to get a closer glimpse of the band, while the back of the auditorium was filled with people jumping around and dancing.
After the concert ended, the streets were filled with sweaty and tired people carrying band merch. The CVS on the corner had a line leading outside, with people rushing to buy food, Gatorade, and bottles of water. Every person was smiling and slightly dazed, as if they couldn’t believe the past three hours of their lives had happened.
Overall, The 1975 put on a stellar performance. They sound exactly the same live as they do digitally, and were extremely humble. They were respectful and authentic and performed their hearts out.