Glass Animals
Article by Brittany Ormiston
Fans were adorned in space-themed attire with their antenna headbands and inflatable aliens in tow. They packed the seats and lawn of Ruoff Music Center eagerly waiting to be transported into the world created by the “human musical group sensations,” Glass Animals. The front of the venue filled with thick fog as a video played over the screens to garner the audience’s attention. The “spaceship” touched down to Earth in Noblesville, Indiana in 3, 2, 1….The massive I Love You So F***ing Much banner dropped quickly to the floor, and revealed a spaceship laboratory. The control panel stretched from one end of the stage to the other, the crystal ball was displayed stage center, and the intense lighting effects brought the live experience to a whole other extraterrestrial level.
Dressed in their signature business attire, Dave Bayley (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, songwriting), Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Joe Seaward (drums) were beaming in response to the crowd’s energy from the start. “What a beautiful evening for a concert!” stated Dave before diving into the next track ‘Life Itself.’ The bass drum pounded in your chest as the orange strobe lights raced around the stage, and orange atoms exploded on the screen behind the band. Fans in the pit knew every word, and Dave turned the microphone around during the chorus as they yelled “come back down to my knees” without hesitation. The band continued to slingshot us back to 2016 with the psychedelic pop-rock vibe of ‘Youth’ and ‘Pork Soda.’ The serotonin continued to climb as Dave went on an adventure to sing and dance with fans to ‘Gooey’ in the lawn and around the pavilion. The happiness radiating from concert-goers was irresistible, and could be felt for miles.
As Glass Animals started to perform tracks from their most recent album I Love You So F***ing Much, the audience became even more invested and captivated. They clapped to the beat as floating stars twisted into a spiral during ‘A Tear In Space (Airlock).’ Behind the electronic musical style were lyrics depicting an all-consuming love that squeezes the life out of you to the point of feeling invisible. Dave’s vocals appeared a bit haunting, and conveyed the relatable reality of things we love most may end up destroying us. Despite the somber track, it was very well received to the point of Dave placing his hands behind his head in disbelief as it ended. “This is such an enormous crowd,” he said quietly. Glass Animals sprinkled in a bit of nostalgia to the setlist with ‘Creatures in Heaven.’ Dave showed off his dance moves, and thrived off of interactions with the crowd. “Never really said that I loved you too,” sang Dave as he pointed to a fan nearby. The most heartwarming part of the evening took place during ‘Lost In The Ocean.’ With a single spotlight, Dave stood on a small podium that slowly raised him into the sky. He towered over the rest of the stage, and looked out into a sea of phone flashlights. This track was a reminder that everything will be alright despite all of the chaos, and the little things in life will “bring you back to earth in the end.” Fans were able to take this mindset out into the world after leaving the venue, and use it as a crutch during troubling times.
After an explosive light show to introduce the encore, Glass Animals closed out the Noblesville show with ‘The Other Side of Paradise’ and their viral international hit ‘Heat Waves.’ The vibes were certainly unmatched as the crowd was taking in every moment before that last note. Glass Animals is in a league all of their own, and deserve the utmost praise for their ability to create a live experience that is unique and otherworldly. The Tour of Earth will certainly have us spinning for lightyears to come.
Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, IN on August 23, 2024
Photos by Everly Ormiston
