Concert Review: Declan McKenna with Opener Allie Crow Buckley
The night came alive with Allie Crow Buckley's opening performance, beginning with a collection of soul-stirring melodies. Despite her gentle demeanor, she commanded the stage with grace. Allie and her band joined forces and became an unstoppable force, weaving a spellbinding tapestry of sound. In both sound and stature, Allie evoked comparisons to the ethereal mystique of Bjork and the soulful depth of Fiona Apple. With a soft yet commanding voice, Allie drew the audience into her spiritual realm, a place where fantasy and reality converged seamlessly. Allie's music, a world unto itself, took the audience on a spellbinding journey from the heart of the forest to the rugged coastal cliffs. Her soaring melodies, punctuated by strong rhythmic elements created a beautifully meditative experience. As intertwined as she was with the audience, it was clear she and her band were just as in sync, consistently reassuring each other with heavy eye contact and smiles all around. If you are looking for something to play as you wander through the woods, Allie Crow Buckley’s sophomore LP, “Utopian Fantasy” is my pick for you. You won’t regret it.
Photographed for Melodía Magazine by Jessie Fuentes
Declan Mckenna hit the stage at 8 pm clad in a 70’s-esque suede jacket and large sunnies reminiscent of the looks served by the illustrious Elton John. He was joined by Ben Limmer, Henry Pearce, Linus Fenton, and Isabel Torres. McKenna has this awe-inspiring demeanor that the crowd ate up! At the first lyric of “Nothing Works”, the crowd erupted in shouts and high-energy movement. Mckenna has a distinct foothold in the indie-pop genre, as one of the most prominent elder Gen-Z faces to emerge in the past decade after finding global mainstream success with his breakthrough single “Brazil”. This tour marks his first appearance at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT, and his second show in the state. The singer transformed the venue with his unique gravel-pained voice from an indoor club in New Haven to an evening dance party where the energy rivaled the crowds in stadiums.
Photographed for Melodía Magazine by Natalie Colon
Seeing the array of faces and styles adorned by the fans at this show was so lovely. There were fairy-core girls clad in long skirts with vibrant glitter creations plastered on their eyelids and college bros in khaki pants and polos. If you’ve never been to Toad’s Place before, it’s situated minutes from Yale’s campus in the heart of downtown New Haven, CT, which is home to over 5 separate Universities. This helped bring out the largely diverse 20-something partygoers that were present in the audience that night. McKenna created a connection with every person in this crowd regardless of their reason for being there he made sure that the good times kept rolling.
Halfway through the set, McKenna played “Why Do You Feel So Down” a single from his debut album “What Do You Think About the Car?”. It’s an upbeat tune about feeling the pressures of conformity while attempting to console a friend who’s in the same boat. Although the song delves into the sadness that comes with trying to be something you're not, the dichotomy between the rhythm and lyrics makes this pop tune infectiously catchy and danceable. McKenna has a penchant for pairing the harder parts of life with an upbeat tempo as if to say ‘Yeah things are bad, but when you are looking at it with rose-colored glasses it’s not that bad.’ When the aforementioned “Brazil” (a tune about the Brazilian government and Fifa World Cup administration's decision to pour large amounts of money into the stadium for the games while displacing over 100,000 locals and forcibly moving them into what equated to ‘huts’ with no electricity or running water) came on the crowd became a force of nature leaping up and down shouting out the lyrics to McKenna. It was a delight to see the aforementioned frat bros in their own small mosh circle as Mckenna serenaded with the emotionally charged lyrics of the song.
Photographed for Melodía Magazine by Natalie Colon
McKenna ended the night with another recently released tune “Sympathy” an indie pop infusion that reminds us to be compassionate and make peace, especially in our currently divided times. “Sympathy” is a prelude to Mckenna’s highly anticipated 3rd major-label album release “What Happened to the Beach?”. The experience of watching McKenna perform live after many years of being in awe of his talent was nothing short of incredible.
If you wanna catch Declan McKenna on the rest of the Big Return Tour click here and stream his music here. Be sure to also check out Allie Crow Buckley here.