Who knew that Grizzly Bear was so popular with the youngsters? The only time I ever saw anything about Grizzly Bear in mainstream media clippings was when Jay-Z and Beyonce showed up at their concert. You crazy for this one Rick!
First to grace The Variety stage was the three-piece band Beach House, although they typically record as a duo. Right when the music started I noticed the lighting and how it was glowing off the triangle-shaped screen that was behind them…I dug it. Beach House plays lackadaisical tunes that are haunted by organ sounding keys, so the dark setting was very complimentary. Victoria Legrand’s voice is wonderfully ambient in a live setting, and in fact, I think she mesmerized the guy in front of me to such an extent, that he literally fell asleep. I really enjoyed their set until about four songs in, then I started getting somewhat antsy. The band was pretty much stationary the entire time, and the songs started blending together. Obviously going into the show I wasn’t expecting cirque du soleil craziness on stage, but the slightest bit of flare can go a long way, some added benefit of seeing a band live rather than hearing a recorded version of them…even if it’s “shoegaze”. And for some odd reason, their sound kept on reminding me of Napoleon Dynamite. Don’t get me wrong, Beach House is still an ideal choice after a stressful day.
Next up to take the stage was Grizzly Bear…and might I add, their stage set-up was awesome. There were a bunch of mason jars dangling on stage with light bulbs inside of them, and the lighting technician did a spectacular job mingling the lights with the music (even though it messed with my photo taking). 
I, apparently unlike the masses, did not hop on the Grizzly Bear fan-wagon until fairly recently, and by recently, I mean after seeing them live. Their latest album, ‘Veckatimest’, certainly brought them much deserved attention but with all the hype around them lately, I sort of got turned off. Now, I can honestly say, I get it, Grizzly Bear is a stellar, versatile, and talented band. I had no idea that they switch the vocals off between three members…it was a great way to subtly keep things fresh. They kicked off their set with the track, “Southern Point” and moved into “Cheerleader”, but after about five songs in, Grizzly Bear’s energy started getting noticeably brighter. The lovely Victoria Legrand joined the boys on stage to perform a live rendition of their newest, yet to be released single, “Slow Life”, which will be featured on the upcoming, Twilight: New Moon soundtrack.
While Grizzly Bear isn’t the most animated band to watch, as their music is pretty mellow, they never came off as stagnant, especially the bass player (and flute player, and tinkerer) who was continually changing roles. Plus I liked that they concluded their set with an encore performance of the slow burner, “He Hit Me”; it was a delicate closing to the evening.
