It took Beach House three years and three days to return to El Paso—and their performance was worth every second of the wait. This time, the indie rock band brought together more people than last time; since filming a music video here in town, they’ve gained more popularity on the border.
The Chamanas opened the night for Beach House; this being their last show on tour with the band. The Chamanas are presently one of the best local bands in El Paso; they warmed up the stage with something beyond an opening act: the smell of incense, the decorations, the music, and singer Amalia Mondragón’s voice and body language, all together, created a true live experience during the band’s set.
By the time Beach House was ready to take the stage, the atmosphere was very calm, and it stood the same from beginning to end. Since the first little sparkle of light, the crowd showed how much this city loves Beach House. From the first note of every song to the last one, the devotion of the people made the night something very special for the band; vocalist Victoria Legrand’s speech on how much he loves this land, and spoke on her perception of how humanity can be good at the end of the day prepared everyone for a song that, according to guitarist, Alex Scally, is about magic “Sparks” from Depression Cherry, one of the two-series of new albums from the band.
The band closed with two encores, the first one being “Irene,” and the second “Somewhere Tonight.” Afterwards, Victoria waved her hand goodbye with such a calm and a soft “thank you.”
Photos + Text: Saúl Torres