Photos & Review: The Neighbourhood
Featuring: The Neighbourhood, Bad Suns & Hunny
The Ogden Theatre, Denver CO.
9/15/15
Photos and Review by: Shannon Shumaker
Full photo gallery HERE.
The last time The Neighbourhood headlined The Ogden Theatre in Denver last year, it was to a tightly packed and sold-out crowd, so when the California group came back through Denver at the same venue in support of their upcoming album, Wiped Out, it was no surprise that the venue seemed even fuller and more excited than last time. It’s safe to say that The Neighbourhood, with their black and white aesthetic and moody songs have a bit of a cult following, and those fans were packed right up at the front of the crowd, waiting eagerly for the band to take the stage.
Two California-based openers took the stage before The Neighbourhood; Hunny and Bad Suns. Having only listened to Bad Suns once before and having never really heard of Hunny, I wasn’t sure what to expect from these two opening acts, but it seemed that The Neighbourhood’s fans did their research (or maybe they’re just a little bit more in the loop than me) as they were calling out the band members’ names throughout their sets and singing along with their hits. Hunny opened up the show with a bit of a groovier sound, while Bad Suns were more on the moody and poppy side. Both groups proved to be the perfect openers for The Neighbourhood, setting the mood for the night. By the time I got home from the show, I was already listening to them on Spotify all over again.
The Neighbourhood was the act that everyone was waiting for, however, and when they finally graced the stage, the wait proved to be more than worth it. Much like the last time I saw the group, they came out illuminated simply by white lights, smoke and LED screens, keeping with their well-known black and white aesthetic. The light show, while simple, was not one to be missed, and absolutely stunning from the back of the crowd, especially the LED palm trees that surrounded the stage and served as a backdrop for the band.
While The Neighbourhood played a large majority of new material, the crowd did not seem disappointed. Instead, fans were excitedly recording new songs and singing along with the ones they knew. Near the end of their set, the entire band left the stage for a few brief moments, leaving the lights on as if to assure fans that they would be back, and shortly after they left, vocalist Jesse Rutherford was back, sporting a fluffy white fur coat instead of the cardigan he had been wearing earlier in the night. Rutherford performed a medley of songs (many from the bands #000000 & #FFFFFF mixtape) solo before leaving the stage once more for a final wardrobe change and being joined by the rest of the band for their final songs. The Neighbourhood’s performance proved to be just as (if not more) diverse than many full lineups, and by the time the show came to an end, with the premiere of the bands new music video, “R.I.P. 2 My Youth” as the closer, fans were sure to leave The Ogden feeling fulfilled.