Hipsters, geeks and fashionistas rejoiced Thursday night when indie pop group Two Door Cinema Club performed at Park West in Lincoln Park.
The band has been praised by Nylon magazine as having the best album of 2010 with their debut, Tourist History, and expectations were high amongst a sea of skinny jeans and flannel for the Irish trio to come onstage. When they opened with “Cigarettes in the Theatre,” the crowd was hooked.
“It’s good to finally be back,” said lead singer Alex Trimble with a slight hint of Irish brood, “I love this city.” The fresh-faced band’s energy on stage was contagious. Even the coolest hipsters moved their bodies to short, synth-heavy tracks like “Undercover Martyn,” the opening lines of which seemed to be echoed by the audience at a louder volume than any amplifier could ever reach.
Hardcore fans and newcomers alike were easily pleased with Thursday’s set list. One of their more obscure tracks, “Hands Off My Cash,” allowed loyal fans a chance to show off their knowledge and gave newcomers something else to love, while unreleased tracks “This Isn’t Home” and “Handshake” presented a different side of the band and highlighted Trimble’s vocal skills. The dreamy, synthesized intro to “This Isn’t Home” spawned the audience to clap in contrast to Trimble’s lower-than-usual octave. Along with Ben Thompson on drums and Sam Halliday on guitar, it was pure magic.
Fan favorite “What You Know” finished off Two Door Cinema Club’s main set before they ‘returned’ for a two-song encore. Easily the band’s most popular song, “What You Know” spun the crowd into a dancing frenzy, seemingly mimicking bassist Kevin Baird, bass swinging so wildly around him that I was concerned for his safety.
After returning to the stage, “Come Back Home” had the crowd assist Trimble as he belt out its soaring chorus. However, the night’s energy came to a climax with the closer “I Can Talk,” a track reminiscent of The Futureheads. With bitter lyrics like, “It’s hard to compromise/ When I see through your eyes/ It’s just a common view/ I guess it’s lost on you” and building guitar riffs, the audience was absorbed in the performance despite it being perhaps too obvious a choice to end the concert.
Two Door Cinema Club will wrap up the North American leg of its tour at Coachella Festival in Indio, Calif. on April 16 alongside acts like Arcade Fire and The Strokes before heading to Europe. It seems this indie favorite has made it to the big time.