Lany Charms Sold Out Crowd at Fine Line

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I stumbled into a show about a year and a half ago. It was opened up by this band called Lany. I had never heard of them before that night but, after seeing them live, I just couldn’t get them out of my head. I missed Lany one time in between that show in July of 2015 and last night and it seems like everything has changed for these guys in the best way possible.

Last night was sold out. Like completely sold out. Like sold out weeks ago. My mind was blown, the other time I saw them, they were opening up for Zella Day and, although that show was also sold out, it wasn’t because of Lany. Last night was sold out because of Lany and it gave me butterflies to see such a deserving band finally get what they deserve.

Lany seemed to be running a bit behind last night and ended up taking the stage about fifteen minutes late but with the reaction of the crowd, it didn’t seem to upset anyone. The audience started chanting “Lany. Lany. Lany.” and every time there was a break in the house music, the chant would turn into a roar of applause and screaming only to be greeted by yet another song that was not Lany.

Finally, the house lights went down, the house music faded away and it was time for Lany. Before the band took the stage, three giant screens that occupied the back of the stage were lit up with video of Whitney Houston singing the national anthem. It seemed strange and bizarre to me but the rest of the crowd had started singing along. Then, as soon as the fighter jets were shown flying over Whitney Houston, Lany took the stage and the crowd went absolutely wild.

When you see singer Paul Jason Klein, the deafening screeches from the young females in the crowd make sense. He looks like a model straight off the runway and, when he opens his voice, he sounds too good to be true. His sultry voice is truly unique in the way he goes from high to low notes, all the while, keeping a smooth characteristic to it. Klein’s voice matched with the low key drums, keys, and guitar sounds leave you with the most perfect indie, almost dream-pop, sound you could ask for.

Throughout the fifteen song set, the music was almost drowned out by the screeching girls in the crowd every time Klein would lean into the sold out crowd. The pushing and shoving happening towards the front of the crowd was intense and security guards struggled to get cups of water to the first couple rows of kids as to prevent overheating (it is un-seasonably warm up here in Minnesota… It was literally 72 degrees yesterday… in November… in Minnesota… it was super hot in that sold out crowd.). I was truly shocked to see such a response for this band that, just a year and a half ago, was playing in front of a sold out crowd but was ignored for the most part.

Opening the show last night was Transviolet. These guys, fronted by Sarah McTaggart, weren’t greeted like an opening act. They were greeted as if they were just as important as the headliner and, they may be on the same level as Lany sooner rather than later.

McTaggart has a voice worthy of a pop start but the attitude worthy of a rock star. With only an EP under their belt, Transviolet seems to have everything to prove but within the first song, they had proven everything they needed to me and have already made their way into my daily playlist.

Although you could feel the spirit of David Bowie flowing through the set with the way the four members acted and the attitude that came off the stage, Transviolet has a sound all of their own. With vocals a bit like Lorde and music a bit like Halsey, these guys take the best elements of some of the best, young, female fronted acts and make it their own. They make it something that is impossible to ignore when listening to it live.

So maybe the shrieking girls standing in front of me had me a bit on edge. Sure, I was super annoyed by the fact that all I could really see for the first couple of songs from Lany were people’s cell phones but, as soon as that music started, it didn’t even matter anymore.

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