Friday night was a happening night for Nashvillians downtown. But the most happening of those places was no doubt The Ryman Auditorium. The guys from The NBHD (The Neighborhood) were in town and they brought friends. To get the crowd going early and leaving them hungry for more was the bands Hunny and Bad Suns. I gotta say they did their job.
But then it was the NBHD’s turn. The crowd was hungry and you could feel that hunger throughout. Right on time, they stepped out onstage. Those bright lights switched on, and that was it. For the next hour and a half, nothing stopped. I had never seen the Ryman Auditorium lit up like it was for this, like a major arena. And the screams from the crowd, deafening. The young audience in complete sync with the band. Lead singer, Jesse Rutherford, giving it right back to the crowd. Soaking up the love he was receiving from everyone singing along and dancing to his words. You could tell he was having the time of his life in the spotlight.
The NBHD’s songs always put me in a different mindset. The songs are dark and moody, but playful and loose. I get all introspective and yet I want to dance around to that amazing beat that is always ever present in every song. The stage was lit up in black and white lights, like the beach. In theme with the single “The Beach” off their new album Wiped Out!, set to be released late October via Columbia Records. With only the bands body outline visible for many of the songs, it was almost like watching dark fluid dancing onstage. Then there was videos in the background of rockets and airplanes shooting off, giving you a feeling of being shot off and free falling into the deep, vast nothing.
I do hope that the NHBD will return to Music City soon. They were truly entertaining and I can’t wait to see what great things become of this band. Members are Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels, Jeremy Freedman, Mikey Margott and Brandon Fried. Check out their Neighborhood website for remaining dates on the #THEFLOOD2015 tour.
All photos taken by Jess Sneed
