The xx @ Radio City Music Hall

Last night was incredible. The xx played to a sold out crowd at Radio City Music Hall and they did not disappoint. I woke up this morning still reeling from the fact that I was able to experience something so lovely. That was by far the classiest venue I have ever seen a show in. I kind of felt like I was a part of The Great Gatsby or something.

The show kicked off with opening guests, Polica, whom I wasn’t too familiar with in the beginning but by their fourth song in, I was hooked. The suspense of seeing The xx was killing me and by 9:30 I was practically having palpitations by the time they hit the stage. They kicked off their set with “Try,” and that opening hook made the crowd go insane! I also must say that vocalists/bassist Oliver Sim was laying on the swag last night. The way he rocks back and forth with that bass, I think he had pretty much every female in the audience swooning.

I felt like I was in a dream and by the time they started to play my two favorites, “Sunset” and “Fiction,” I thought to myself “how surreal is this?!” I listen to “Fiction” alone in my room most nights, amazed every time by how perfectly those lyrics mirror my own situation. Last night, ‘the world was beneath us,’ fiction and reality colliding together, showing me just how real this whole situation truly is. You know those moments when you’re dealing with something so intense and insane in your head and once you step outside of it, it all seems so small? Last night, I got to step outside of that and it still felt so real…and major. Needless to say, I teared up quite a bit. The people next to me must of thought I was emotionally unstable. Hey, it happens!

Lasers played a big part in last night’s show. When it comes to stage effects, The xx don’t mess around. I can speak for the rest of the crowd when I say that we were pretty mesmerized. I do not condone the use of drugs in any way but this band is like the safest acid trip you will ever take. (Can we put that on an album blurb?)

After 15 incredible songs, it was time for an encore. Once those first few notes of their famed “Intro” started playing, the energy in Radio City was electrified! Hearing that song live for the first time was surreal and even better than I imagined. The way singer/guitarist Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim feed off of each other is so endearing and Jamie Smith is a beast with the beats and special effects. What once started out as just kids starting a band just for fun after school in a bedroom in London, turned into something magnificent. They expressed their gratitude multiple times during the show and I found that to be very humbling. It shows that you can start with nothing and wind up with greatness. It inspired me and reminded me that I have more than I thought I did.

I was pretty much shedding tears left and right so naturally when they launched into their last song, “Angels,” I was a blubbering mess. Another song that eloquently describes how I feel about someone. This journey is anything but easy, but if walked through with confidence and trust, it can be beautiful, magical, crazy, vibrant and amazing. You can listen to an album countless times but once you get to experience it live, it’s a whole different picture.

As the band left the stage, Oliver and Romy arm in arm, I couldn’t imagine a more deserving band to have played that venue. I fell in love with The xx all over again. Last night was unforgettable. I can’t wait to see what’s in their future.

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