Let it be known: The New Parish is one of the best concert venues in the Bay Area, especially when illuminated by Tuesday and Wednesday night’s performances by Japandroids and Cloud Nothings.
In a two-nighter show sandwiched between their Coachella performances, Japandroids and Cloud Nothings played a venue that seemed too small for their popularity and critical acclaim. But the energized indie rock set the perfect tone for an intimate, spirited audience where moshing and stage diving were commonplace.
Japandroids started off the two-act show. The Canadian duo, featuring guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse, opened the show with an abundance of liveliness that was obscured at their Coachella performance. Their main hits, such as “The House That Heaven Built” and “Evil’s Sway,” moved the crowd in a way that their newest album, Celebration Rock, was meant to move the crowd. King had a grasp on the crowd throughout the show, and at the end of their set, he even took photos and talked with audience members as he struck Japandroids’ equipment.
Cloud Nothings followed up in a heavy, strong performance that was juxtaposed against the energy of Japandroids’ performance. Their neo-grunge rock was not conducive for dancing or movement, but live performances of “Our Plans” and “Wasted Days” mesmerized the crowd thanks to pure visceral fortitude. Even if Cloud Nothings’ grunge-rock aesthetic was too much for the audience, their set was certainly faithful to their excellent album Attack On Memory.
Overall, both performances felt unbelievably valuable — not because tickets cost $20 but because having these two bands play incredible sets back-to-back at a well-contained venue such as The New Parish felt like a once-in-a-lifetime event. With no opening act to act as filler, The New Parish fulfilled the purpose of hosting Japandroids and Cloud Nothings: having two phenomenal rock artists play an energetic show.
Contact Art Siriwatt at [email protected]. Check him out on twitter at @artsiriwatt.