Concert Review: CHVRCHES Headline BuzzFestivus 2015 at Revention Music Center

Chvrches make their last stop before the Christmas break on their “Every Open Eye” Tour to headline BuzzFestivus 2015 at Revention Music Center with Robert Delong as opener. 

The crowd at BuzzFestivus 2015 (the annual festival of Houston’s Alternative radio station The Buzz 94.5)  anxiously awaited this lineup; finals are over, Winter break has begun and both artists have heavy rotation on 94.5 and concert-goers’ Spotify playlists no doubt about it. I can safely say that the crowd’s anticipation was greatly rewarded by phenomenal sets by both artists.

Robert Delong, L.A. electronic music extraordinaire, definitely got the crowd warmed up for the headliner not only with his danceable beats and catchy choruses, but with his exhausting onstage performance. His set was a full-on one man show. He controlled three different music rigs; a keyboard setup, a percussion/synth drum setup, and finally an acoustic drum set. He was fully capable on every instrument and the crowd was glued to his every move.

After Mr. Delong got the crowd hyped, it was time for Chvrches to take the stage. This has been a banner year for everyone’s favorite Glasgow based synth-pop trio. Their sophomore album “Every Open Eye” was been both a critically and commercially successful release and even showed up on many “Best Of 2015” lists. So, it’s no surprise that they played many cuts from this album including “Playing Dead,” “Clearest Blue,” “Leave a Trace,” and their latest single “Empty Threat.” They still played the “oldies” as well by including cuts from their debut album “The Bones of What You Believe.” Fan favorites like “Science/Visions,” “Gun,” and “Under the Tide” had the audience dancing while hits like “Recover” and “The Mother We Share” had the audience singing every word.

The audience also enjoyed banter from front-woman Lauren Mayberry. She explained how she gave up dairy because it’s bad for her voice and that it pains her because she loves cheese. She also revealed that the band had already seen “The Force Awakens” and that their would be no spoilers during the show. 

Make sure to catch Chvrches if you can on their “Every Open Eye” tour and check out the album as well.

By Trent Lira