Khruangbin takes us A La Sala at WaMu Theater
We were thrilled to finally head down to WaMu Theater and catch Khruangbin, who were making a tour stop supporting A La Sala. The band known for their live shows, especially after the release of their 4th record, have been playing mostly sold-out shows to thousands of fans. The trio saw a huge success in the industry something they’ve been working on for many years and felt very deserved. Finally, people were on to them, and it seemed like the rooms filled quick enough that there wasn’t enough space to hold all of the fans. After many tour dates in many rounds Seattle finally got a proper venue to experience the whole live performance that the band has put together.
The trio from Houston, TX consists of Laura Lee Ochoa, Mark Speer, and Donald Johnson who have known each other for many years and have been making incredible music together. Khruangbin means airplane in Thai and it’s a very unique band name that helps being memorable. We walked into the venue and noticed that the sold-out show was already filled with people. The opener was John Carroll Kirby and fans gathered early enough to catch his set as well. The venue which usually configured with the bleachers in the back of the room separating the back bar with curtains, tonight had the bleachers on the side opening the room up to a larger capacity.
After a great opening set it was time for the headliner to come to the stage. The trio took their places and the magnificent set designed by Kat Borderud lit up. Each of them was standing in front of a door arch towards the right on top of the stairs. The screens behind the arches changed accordingly and later on a larger screen in the background complemented the visuals. We’ve been catching a lot of Borderud‘s designs throughout the years and with many artists, (Japanese Breakfast, Turnstile, Mannequin Pussy, The Japanese House, Movements, Royel Otis), and it seems like things just keep getting better. There is nothing that happens without a purpose and without being thought of prior. Her trained eye and experience in the industry really stand out and create this very unique stage design changing the lighting when necessary to fit the songs perfectly.
After the first songs Ochoa and Speer moved around the set stepping up and down and moving across the stage. Every performer was perfectly aligned with one another and as time went on the music carried everyone to their world. The set was divided in two parts, one playing A La Sala in its entirety, and the second one a mix of their previous songs, before they returned for the two-song encore.
People danced around to their favorite tunes and as the night progressed so did the dancing and the mood of the room. It felt like we were in another space moving around and being carried by the music. We’ve been waiting to see Khruangbin for a long time and this show did not disappoint one bit along with the incredible stage/lighting design. It’s definitely a show you want to experience live in order to fully take the music in. If they’re anywhere near you in the future, make sure you catch them this is a band you need to see live
Highlights included, Maria Tambien, People Everywhere, Time, Evan Finds the Third Room, Hold Me Up, Les Petits Gris.
