LANY at The Observatory shot by Danielle Gornbein

LANY brought his feel-good pop party to Orange County this past Wednesdy night. The Observatory sold out to see frontman, Paul Klein shut it down and that’s exactly what he did. First up was up and coming electronic pop-rock trio, machineheart. I was blown away by the frontwoman, Stevie Scott’s eclectic style and energy. She demanded the hell out of the audience which only evoked the best possible form of madness. On Spotify you’ll find their sole EP, In Your Dreams which serves as a great handle for their emerging sound.

It was then time for the three-piece dream team, LANY. Glad to be home, this Los Angeles band owned the stage for the next hour and a half. Paul Klein calls for fangirling at its finest when he presents himself with wet, stringy hair through a fog-filled stage. From the photo pit, the screaming was practically deafening! However, I am absolutely guilty for falling under LANY’s love spell. They bring such a strong sense of nostalgia in their music with their dreamy and sharp hits. It’s almost a soundtrack to these fans’ lives as they sing along with Paul as he stands right in front of them, holding their hand.

During his anticipated funky track “BadBadBad,” fans tossed roses onto the stage and surrounded the pop singer as he continued to give them exactly what they wanted. In terms of a band, this was the tightest I’ve seen them. They seemed at home and in their element which shined all throughout the venue. From the photo pit to the crowd with friends, you could just see the shared love filling the room. Each tier at the Observatory was full of dancing, cheering, and singing along. Definitely was a special night. It’s still hard to believe that such a widely received up and coming group could only have all of these singles and EPs out. But without much time to wait, they’ve announced their debut album for this June, so stay tuned.

Words & Photography: Danielle Gornbein