I became quite familiar with the band The Neighbourhood back in 2013. They're an alternative group out of California, who often abbreviate their name NBHD. Tampa radio station 97X had high praise for them when they released their debut album back in early 2013. I enjoyed it as well, and traveled up to Orlando to see them on their first national headlining tour. I even reviewed their debut in full last spring.
Throughout their breakout year of 2013, I caught their gigs at Lollapalooza, their opening show for Imagine Dragons, and their evening set at the 2013 Coastline Music Fest. It was pretty cool to see the venues and size of their shows grow. Now two years later, the band is back with a sophomore album.
The Tampa fan base for these guys is still strong, and they performed at Jannus Live for a mostly full courtyard on a Monday night. They followed up an opening set by ever touring group - Bad Suns. I've reviewed multiple sets by these guys in the past, but the performance from them was not as good. I think lead singer Christo Bowman may have had a cold, but he didn't sound as strong and captivating as in the past.
As it should be, the main act was much better. They came out playing a new song, entitled 'Ferrari,' which sounded awesome. The guitar riff was catchy and jumpy, getting the crowd into it early. Lead singer Jesse Rutherford seems to have improved as a frontman as well. The vocalist soaked up the crowds cheers and performed shirtless for the majority of the show. With his current hair style, his silloette reminded me of The Strokes' Julian Casablancas.
The beginning of the show was very solid for NBHD. The new material was well received and they kept the fans entertained with numerous songs from their debut album throughout the night. I thought early highlights were 'Wires' from the bands earliest EP, and second single 'Female Robbery.'
I thought one of the coolest things about the show was the imagery and feel that the band gave off. As is similar to their music videos, almost everything on stage was in black and white. The lights created a great vibe, but almost made it where you never got a good look at the band members. They remained cloaked in darkness for the most part, with only silhouettes visible against the mesmerizing video screen.
The one negative point of the night came when Rutherford dismissed the remainder of the band for a solo section. He sang a number of tunes that had a much more rap / hip-hop feel. These tunes were heavy on bass, and his voice was even auto-tuned for one of them. Maybe this is a new direction for the band? But regardless the section was too long and too much of an EDM feel for that moment of the night.
The guys finished strong though as the remainder of the group came back on stage. Rutherford sounded great doing a cover of Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy.' The Californian group then finished strong with best known tune in 'Sweater Weather,' followed by new single 'R.I.P. 2 My Youth.'
Overall, a decent show for a Monday night at Jannus. I'm not sure if this new album will quite live up to their height that 97X set following their debut, but they still put on a good show. The Neighbourhood will be back in Tampa in December for the already stacked 97x Next Big Thing.
Concert Rating: 3 Stars
SETLIST:
1. Ferrari Intro
2. Prey
3. WDYWFM
4. Let It Go
5. Wires
6. Baby Come Home
7. Afraid
8. Daddy Issues
9. Female Robbery
10. The Beach
11. Wiped Out!
12. Medley (Lurk, Jealou$y, Dangerous, When I Get Back, #icanteven, U&I)
13. Warm
14. Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)
15. Sweater Weather
16. R.I.P. 2 My Youth
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