Khruangbin // Gunnersbury Park, London
Impeccably cool instrumentals
★★★★☆ (4/5)
KHRUANGBIN PERFORMING AT LONDON’S GUNNERSBURY PARK
PHOTOS BY: VICTOR FRANKOWSKI / HELLOO CONTENT
This Friday, golden evening rays of sunshine transformed West London’s Gunnersbury Park into a dreamy soundscape of grooves and rhythm as Khruangbin took to the stage. The Texan trio delivered a set that embodied their genre-defying musicality and demonstrated the captivating live shows for which the band are known.
With Laura Lee Ochoa on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald Johnson on drums the band were effortlessly cool at all times, demanding attention from the second they emerged. Dressed in their signature alt-retro attire, the band’s wardrobe, staging and visuals helped transport the audience to another world.
Songs from the album “A La Sala” made up the bulk of the set, but the band made sure to perform tracks from throughout their eclectic discography. The rhythm section produced a chilled momentum, which brought a dreamy vibe to the thousands assembled.
“A Love International” opened the set with a melodic 70’s easy listening swagger. This acted as a mission statement for the set, with the undeniable funk of the bass locking in with tight drumming to allow the mellow guitar room to breathe. As the band deftly moved from track to track their ability to blend a multitude of genres coalesced into their distinctive sound that transported the audience into worlds of Thai funk, Middle Eastern scales, surf rock, dub, soul and others as each song embodied a warm summer breeze.
Further elevating the performance were beautifully understated visuals which bathed the greenery of the park in a soft palette of often muted colours which complemented the narrative of each song.
Quiet reverence could be seen on the crowd's faces as they danced to the chilled-out grooves put out by the band. With lush textures from the instrumentation superceding any need for flashier showmanship.
A constant throughout the night was an amiable sense of joy. As the diverse mix of musical influences brought in a crowd with equally eclectic music tastes. Yet all were united in their enjoyment as cheers and applause punctuated the end of every song. Highlights from the stellar set emerged as “May Ninth” and “María También” merged the best elements of the performance into laid-back delights.
Those in attendance were in good spirits, lapping up the immaculately curated vibes under the setting summer sun. The band returned the appreciation, giving heartfelt thanks even as they basked in the adoration. It helped to foster a special connection between those on stage and those in the crowd, helping to make the venue feel intimate despite its immense size. Nowhere was this more apparent than during a performance of “So We Won’t Forget”, during which the band took a pause to ensure that medical professionals were able to address an incident in the crowd.
Khruangbin’s show at Gunnersbury Park was a delight. Where the enjoyment was painted on the faces of those in attendance long after the show ended. The band demonstrated that sometimes the most powerful performances are the quietest ones.
REVIEW BY: SAM MCNAUGHTON
PHOTOS BY: VICTOR FRANKOWSKI / HELLOO CONTENT
