Review
Review
Khruangbin at Eventim Apollo, 22/11/24
Chill globetrotting trio Khruangbin played Eventim Apollo like they hadn't stepped out of their own home. "A la sala" indeed
What a smashing new band that Khruangbin are. Well, they’re new in the eyes of the GRAMMY Awards at least, despite forming in 2010, and releasing four critically acclaimed albums in the years since, each with growing influence over contemporary guitar music. Plus, selling out three nights at Eventim Apollo amid their current UK tour. The trio’s globetrotting sound was warmly embraced on these shores when they were in fact a new band, and they’ve only grown ever more popular. But what’s the use in nitpicking…
Khruangbin’s rise to mainstream notoriety has been one of the success stories of the streaming age. For the many dystopian tales about streaming’s impact on musician’s finances, creative commodification and overall wellbeing, the Texan three-piece have entrenched themselves as profiteers of music’s global reach and democratisation.
The vibe was indeed laidback, at least for the first act where Khruangbin performed their stripped-back newest album, A La Sala, in full, which translates from Spanish as “to the living room”. Bringing the simplistic album cover to life in the form of three arched windows and a spacious staircase for the set design, the stage became a cosy, warmly-lit creche for the band to unwind in. The powerful and theatrical conclusion to the first section, with roaring thunder and rainfall blasting throughout the venue’s speakers, only emphasised the sense of sanctuary on stage.
Known for their kitsch choreography and outfits that’s seen bassist Laura Lee heralded as a style goddess – they’d never be seen without the sleek, fringed black wigs, in which Lee’s is bobbed nowadays – tonight they were a lot more louche, and less orchestrated in terms of their presence. Wading through the liberally dispersed dry ice, crabbing in synchronicity on occasion, Lee and guitarist Mark Speer spent much of the show in their own world, seldom interacting with the crowd, sometimes sitting crossed legged on the stairs as stars twinkled through the screens behind them.
Only until the latter end of the performance did Khruangbin turn the proverbial heat up, playing shoulder-shimmying favourites in ‘Pelota’, ‘Evan Finds The Third Room’, and ‘Maria También’, which ignited a disco on the Eventim Apollo dancefloor. Sadly there was no space for a trademark medley of covers, though they did squeeze in a version of Kool & the Gang’s ‘Summer Madness’ before bringing the show to a close with joyous big-hitters ‘Time (You and I)’ and ‘People Everywhere (Still Alive)’.
The greater their stock, the grander the stages, the more chill Khruangbin seem with it, like they hadn’t stepped out of their own home. “A la sala” indeed.
Khruangbin will play outdoor shows in summer 2025. Find tickets here
