LANY at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Review & Photos – LANY at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, Jun 17 2019

As the lights dimmed, the crowd went wild and screams filled the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. On stage, a large screen counted down the minutes before LANY took the stage. While musicians Les Priest, Jake Clifford Goss and Giuliano Pizulo took up residence on a raised platform, lead singer Paul Klein skipped out onto the stage—front and centre—in a Vancouver Canucks jersey.

Energy pulsed from the crowd as the group launched into their spirited performance. Throughout the show, the fanatical crowd jumped up and down to the beat and waved their arms in the air to mirror Klein when prompted. As the audience sang along to almost every word, Klein noted, ‘Yeah Vancouver, you sound good’.

The pop band’s sold-out show in Vancouver was the last Canadian stop on their current tour. Formed in 2014, LA-based LANY consists of Klein on vocals and keys, Priest on keys and guitar, and Goss on drums, with the addition of Pizulo on synthesizers and guitar.

While the energy in the room was extremely high and though it was an entertaining performance, the vibe was a bit cheesy. Some of Klein’s onstage antics are a bit off-putting and his penchant for gyrating his hips in the air as if humping his keyboard is especially obnoxious.

Making an enemy of the venue security, Klein gave the audience permission to come down in front. A swarm of fans ran from their seats to get as close to the stage as possible. Near the end of the set, Klein, wanting to get even more up close and personal with the crowd, walked up into the aisle to perform amongst the sea of screaming fans and their cellphones.

The group closed out the night with a two-song encore, ending with the 2015 single “ILYSB”. Exploding with feeling, fans seemed to scream the lyrics of the catchy tune rather than sing them. It was clear that the audience had an emotional connection to the pop group’s catchy songs.

Known by the moniker Sad Girl, opener Sasha Sloan’s moody pop songs may have been too slow for the hyper audience but her performance of subdued, yet groovy beats and harmonizing vocals made for a noteworthy performance. The Russian-American singer-songwriter performed tracks from her two EPs, Sad Girl and Loser. The 24 year old captured the attention of the all ages crowd with the question, ‘Does anyone here have the worst parents?’, before grabbing her guitar and performing the retrospective single, “Older”.

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Contributors

Julie Rankin

Julie Rankin is a writer and a designer and developer of digital experiences. She currently operates her own holistic creative studio that aims to push the boundaries of what we can build together on the web. Julie is passionate about digital sustainability, accessibility and user experience. In addition to serving as editor and writer at Bright Noise, Julie also writes fiction. She can often be found cycling, walking along the Vancouver seawall, or enjoying some live music.

Kirk Chantraine

Kirk Chantraine is a Canadian photographer and software developer currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He graduated from Vancouver Film School for 3D Animation in 2004 and has been working in the Visual Effects industry ever since with companies such as Electronic Arts and Disney. Over the last few years Kirk has exhibited his photographic works in San Francisco and Vancouver. A music aficionado and vinyl junkie, Kirk shoots live music and performance at an inhuman pace across North America for Bright Noise , along with landscape and portraiture. If you're buying: gin-and-tonics. He is @kchantraine on Twitter.