Blur Work Out the Kinks in Real Time at Pre-Coachella Warm-Up Show: Concert Review
11.04.2024 - 19:09
/ variety.com
Lily Moayeri Three days ahead of their prime-slot appearance at Coachella, Blur put on a packed preview show at the Fox Theater in Pomona, Calif., a half-hour east of Los Angeles. These Coachella warm-up shows serve serval purposes: They help the artist work out the kinks in their setlist — Blur toured extensively last year, including a career-spanning show at London’s 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium, but most recently performed in South America in November — and they provide fans with a rare chance to see artists perform at smalle-than-usual venues.
Last time the group played in the Los Angeles area, it was at the Hollywood Bowl, almost 10 times the size of the 2,000-cap Fox. And for this one, the audience got a show that was nearly double the length of their allotted hour at Coachella.
The anticipation was palpable from the multigenerational diehard audience, which ranged from fans who’d seen the band on its first North American tour in 1991 to first-timers. However, the group kicked off the show with “St.
Charles Square” from their latest album, “The Ballad of Darren” — which is not exactly a party-starter. However, that quickly turned around when vocalist Damon Albarn throwing full red solo cups into the crowd while shouting verses from the early-career favorite, “Popscene.” The sound was initially distorted and muddy — a situation that wasn’t helped when Albarn pulled out his trusty megaphone for “Trouble in the Message Center” — but the band rode through it, riding the punky energy of many of the songs from the first half of the set.
Still, the momentum was a bit uneven and the crowd was hungry for the hits. Albarn — now 56, bearded and bespectacled — remains a natural frontman, although on this night he wore a
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