The two-headed beast of a bill in the form of The Walkmen and Beach House descended on Stubb’s last Thursday night. Though much of the crowd that packed the sold out venue obviously came to see recent-indie-giants Beach House, a sporadic fan could be spotted screaming along with every song played by seasoned-and-stalwart-indie-giants The Walkmen.
The Walkmen represent to me a sleek and classic indie rock performance. They possess that accessible rock sound that makes them immediately likable, but retain just enough of a rough edge to reach independent listeners. With most members wearing suits, in spite of the Texas heat, the band dedicated almost no time to talking with the audience. 
“We’re the Walkmen,” lead singer Hamilton Leithauser greeted the crowd before launching into the set. The Walkmen proceeded to play one blistering song after the next. I feel like every other person in the world saying so, but “The Rat” clearly stole the show, performed as the energetic indie rock anthem it is.
Beach House currently towers above many of their contemporaries as one of the most loved bands in present-day independent music. With a band as stylized and artistic as Beach House, fans get the added bonus of intricate sets to support the band’s outstanding music. Beach House’s setup consisted of large box fans, slowly moving as fog floated mysteriously around the stage—an apt effect to accompany the band’s music, which sounded sonically flawless.
Visually, the setup greatly benefitted the group, who remains mostly stationary, almost hiding behind their instruments. However, the visual stimulus combined with the sheer power of the songs had the audience perpetually dancing, and some concertgoers near me almost had meltdowns of joy at the beginning of a few songs. Opening with “Wild,” a track I prefer over the first single, “Myth,” which was played later in the set, Beach House was on from the first note. The band played a good amount of new material including “Other People” and standout “Lazuli” from their most recent album, Bloom. Memorable tracks from previous records such as “Zebra” and “Norway,” both from Teen Dream also found spots within the setlist.
Beach House has consistently produced some of my favorite records of the past half decade, and I’ve seen them live several times, including shows in small clubs and some on festival stages. They always sound great, and their show at Stubb’s was no exception. Beach House is an artist at the top of their game, on tour behind one of the year’s best albums. If you still have an opportunity to buy tickets for a show in your city, I certainly wouldn’t wait.
