What better way to start the weekend than singing and dancing with the noise/hyper pop
pioneer legends Sleigh Bells? The Observatory in Santa Ana was definitely buzzing with
excitement and energy the entire evening. Sophie Hunter from Brooklyn, NY opened up the
evening with her fun attitude and bold lyricism (and her beautiful red hair, I’m obsessed). Having
only seen snippets of her work on TikTok, it was awesome getting to experience her in
person. It is a daunting task to take the stage on your own, and she owned it with every step.
Sophie has created a very cool persona with a sound, style, and visual combination.
Interview: Sleigh Bells Reflect on Going Through Major Life Changes and Discuss New Album ‘Bunky Becky Birthday Boy’ and Tour
Sleigh Bells took to the stage opening with “Badly,” a song from their newest album, Bunky
Becky Birthday Boy. An album that, to me, the writer, feels like the cool older sister to Treats.
As an insanely awesome second song choice, they played their iconic track “Infinity Guitars,”
and I found myself craving my American Apparel tennis skirt and my login info for my 2014
Tumblr account. I was reminded that this was my original Brat Summer. Everyone in the room
was nearly levitating at this point, matching the high energy the entire band was delivering on
stage.
Sleigh Bells’ setlist was a wonderful blend of their entire discography, showcasing the evolution
of their sound through the years. Lead singer, Alexis Krauss is and always has been an incredible performer and kind human. She consistently interacted with the crowd, joining them in the pit for multiple
songs, signing records while sitting on the barricade, crowd surfing through the venue, and
singing with fans in the front row.
It is so special when kindness and love are so obvious and palpable from a band. As always, they put on one hell of a show. Getting to spend the evening immersed in the all-encompassing noise of Sleigh Bells was a wonderful experience. If you have the opportunity, you need to catch them on the Bunky Becky Birthday Boy tour.
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