Photography by Amelia Trask. Check out more photos from this show and others HERE
I caught
Islands last Thursday night at
The Bowery Balllroom, and being that I was really looking forward to the show, I have to say these guys definitely delivered.
Nicholas/Nick Diamonds/Thorburn/ex-Unicorns front man is one cool and very talented guy, and clearly he knows it.
Islands took to the stage dressed all in white, with
Nick decked out in an Elvis inspired rhinestone cape, sporting some of those plastic shades that the eye doctor gives you when he dilates your pupils. I would expect nothing less.
The first half of the show was dominated by tracks from their new album
Vapours, and not only did it sound great, but these guys know how to put on a pretty damn entertaining show. They played my two favorite songs from the album, "No You Don't" and "Devout" (don't you love when that happens?), and then rounded out the show with a few tracks from their first two albums.
From the second they took the stage,
Islands had the crowd dancing. I am well aware how hard it is to get a New York audience to step down from their aloof static coolness, but
Islands broke everyone down. The crowd went really crazy when they sang "Rough Gem" right before the encore; there was a look of pure joy on everybody's face. It brought us all back to a simpler time when, in the days following the grim proclamation "The Unicorns Are Dead", emerged suddenly that beautiful beacon of hope entitled "Return to the Sea" that delivered us from the darkness. -
amelia trask
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Pictures: Islands @ The Bowery Ballroom
Album Review: Islands
Islands on Myspace