LIVE REVIEW: Boy & Bear play in Perth for the first time in years
The Perth leg of Boy & Bear’s Hold Your Nerve tour was one for the ages, being by far one of the most wholesome shows I’ve been to. Walking into Astor Theatre, you could sense the anticipation for the show, and boy did it not disappoint!
Jess Day eased us into the night, enshrouding the audience with her synthy waltzes. Playing ‘Why Is She So Beautiful’ and her latest release ‘Rabbit Hole’ was just what was needed to kickstart the great night ahead.
With a light works introduction, Tia Gostelow brilliantly opened with ‘Hunger’ and ‘continued to impress throughout her set. Her emotive band members were quite the show, adding to the entertainment. By the time she got to ‘Giants’ she had everyone enthralled with her lulling sound. Tia’s cover of Empire of the Sun’s ‘We Are The People’ was well received by the crowd, with everyone singing along to the chorus (and me getting it stuck in my head after finally getting rid of it after years). Her set ended with ‘Strangers’ and ‘Phone Me’, leaving the audience excited for what the night had in store.
At around 10pm Boy & Bear emerged, dressed as though they were about to go to a rural function — in an adorable way. Opening with ‘Old Town Blues’, the set started at a great pace. It got everyone, including the very eager fan in front of us, tapping their feet and swaying. ‘Milk & Sticks’ kept it going, getting everyone singing and dancing along.
With enough breaks for the crowd to catch their breaths, the audience defiantly showed their love — and by far, were the most vocal I’d ever seen at a concert. The boys loved it though, joking along with them and keeping it lighthearted. With ages ranging from teenagers to old timers, it was a very wholesome experience. Fans gathered purely in adoration of their favourite artist, singing and tapping along — you could feel the warm nostalgic buzz all around.
The mid section of the show slowed in tempo, for maybe a bit longer than it should have. Starting with the slow ‘Big Man’, the boys even brought out the banjo and hand-played the drums for a melodic rendition of ‘A Moment’s Grace’. These were followed by ‘Break Down Slow’ before Boy & Bear brought the tempo back up with ‘Hold Your Nerve’ from their latest EP.
Although they were still getting used to how their encores work (with this being their first tour doing them), it sure did end giving the audience all they wanted. ‘Fall At Your feet’ was juxtaposed by the extravaganza of ‘Southern Sun’, leaving everyone walking out abuzz… and with slightly hoarse throats.
Boy & Bear’s concert I can only describe by the word ‘wholesome’. It was so nice seeing such humility, modesty and warmth radiating from the stage, and being accepted and reflected back by the adoring crowd.
It was truly a concert to be remembered.
