SLOWDIVE ENRAPTURED THE FOX THEATER IN POMONA
The shoegaze masters in Slowdive blessed their loyal Southern California disciples with a special gig at the Fox Theater in Pomona last weekend, as the band made it’s way to the gargantuan Sick New World festival in Las Vegas the following day. This show was originally planned for the Glass House in Pomona, but after selling out almost immediately, the promoter upgraded the event to the Fox instead. Just down the street and with nearly double the capacity of the original venue, the Fox Theater was the perfect spot to host another epic Slowdive celebration.
The synth lords in Drab Majesty served as the night’s opening act once more, just as they opened for Slowdive’s previous set of LA gigs at the Bellwether last fall. Their dark, yet hauntingly beautiful tunes and smoke filled stage presence fit the vibe of the evening, as fans made their way inside the theater amidst an unexpected bout of light rain and unavoidable grapple with Friday traffic.
Of course none of those hiccups mattered once Slowdive hit the stage. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes after 20 years away, the band’s 2014 reunion has set them on an unprecedented mid-career renaissance. Supporting 2023’s brilliant Everything Is Alive and prepping for their appearance at one of America’s biggest rock festivals, the band played a solid block of new material as well as several old school deep cuts, that kept fans inside abuzz all evening. They started things off with Everything Is Alive’s opening track, “Shanty” and kicked off a night of stunning sounds and crazy lights/visuals, and lots of sing-alongs from the oh so hyped crowd.
Theres multitiered general admission standing levels inside the Fox, as well as a seated upstairs balcony. From our perspective on the floor, the audience was a healthy mix of Millennials, Gen Xers and a solid amount of young Zoomers which seems to bolster the claim that shoegaze has spread like wildfire amongst the youth of today. These fans were too young to witness Slowdive’s reunion ten years ago, just as Millennials missed seeing the band in the 90’s, yet here they stood, with their Gen X comrades soaking in the surrealness of Slowdive’s triumphant return after so many ups and downs.
Slowdive fans along the barricade
“Catch The Breeze” and the unexpected “Avalyn” were delightful to catch live. Just as their new singles “Skin In The Game” and the ultra-catchy “Kisses” reiterate the awesomeness of their latest record. Some people were hoping for a bit more from their self-titled 2017 comeback album [will they ever play “Don’t Know Why” again? Please do!] but “Star Roving” and “Sugar For The Pill” were solid representations. As expected, the crowd lost their minds during every Souvlaki Space Station jam. This isn’t just the quintessential Slovedive LP, for many this is like the album, period. Every lyric, every bass groove, every little delayed guitar effect, hit the fans inside the Fox like a ton of bricks. Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead’s microphones could have gone out during “When The Sun Hits” or “40 Days” and the audience would have gladly carried on in their stead.
The band ended the night with their famed cover of Syd Barrett’s “Golden Hair,” and said farewell to their legion of SoCal devotees. The following day they’d travel to Sin City and play a 80,000+ capacity music festival, with an adjacent set time as Slipknot. We here at Get Some Magazine aren’t sure how that last sentence makes sense, or how Slowdive have reincarnated themselves into Zoomer royalty, or how they continue making stunning new music, but we are beyond thrilled they keep doing it; and are eternally grateful they brought their magic sounds to the Fox Theater this night.
