San Diego was lucky enough to have Broken Bells stop by Humphrey’s By the Bay in between Coachella weekends last Wednesday. The duo definitely seemed to have avoided those pesky desert sand storms and we fully fresh and ready to go.
James Mercer, in a dapper dark suit, along with the ever-stylish Danger Mouse, played to a sold out crowd under the stars and did not disappoint. The big stage boasted epic, space-style graphics, which seemed to visually and musically move the crowd across the galaxy and back.
Playing new tracks off their boogie/Bee Gees-inspired album After the Disco, along with old favorites off their self-titled debut, the duo seemed genuinely relaxed and seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere. Unfortunately Humphrey’s seems to drive a older, wealthy (i.e. boring) crowd, and most people stayed in their assigned seats for the majority of the performance.
Things finally lightened up during the encore when Broken Bells played their familiar hit “The High Road”. Many people bum rushed to the front and could not be told to go back to their seats, no matter how insistent the security was. We finally danced and laughed and enjoyed these incredible musicians who produce music that is out of this world.