Lord Huron took the House of Blues from Earth to Space, and yet they still managed to keep us floored.
Lord Huron and Misty Boyce both stole the audience’s hearts on Friday, as they performed to the sold-out House of Blues San Diego. As Misty Boyce started the show, they set the precedent on what to expect for the night. Wearing some fresh, all-white outfits, their music was melodic and a little dreamy: overall, they had style in spades. Using a touch of piano alongside droning, sustained guitars, and a strong vocal performance allowed the group to set themselves above the numerous indie-rock artists who rely heavily upon one sound without variation nor substance. Especially impressive was a masterfully done, Hendrix-inspired guitar solo about halfway through the set.
After the crowd-pleasing set, Lord Huron took the stage, and what a show that was. As soon as they walked on during the intro of Ancient Names (Part 1), a stark contrast was established between themselves and Misty Boyce – with their charcoal black suits replacing Misty Boyce’s cream white. And once they picked up their instruments and began playing, the show never lost momentum. The first song featured some incredible lighting cues to match the song, which really roused the crowd. Thankfully, that wasn’t the only visual aspect to their set; glimmering images of space, stars, and nature warped itself across the stage, enhancing the themes of each song. Better yet, their song choices weren’t solely Vide Noir, but rather a selection of the best across their entire discography – including a slow, soulful Neil Young cover of Harvest Moon during the encore.
It wasn’t until around halfway through the set when front man Ben Schneider donned a cowboy hat and threw flowers into the crowd that I was able to realize the image they had been slowly painting in my head the entire night. The image of a dashing, romantic space cowboy with a sensitive side really tied the entire experience together.
Overall, both Misty Boyce and Lord Huron put on a performance worth remembering. If you ever need an excuse for good music, good food, or both, then be sure to stop by House of Blues San Diego for Dinner & A Show!