Arizona indie rock band Lydia were definitely the surprise of the evening. For the half hour or so they were on stage, they definitely stole the spotlight, and left us forgetting for a second that this was actually a headline The Maine show. The band fronted by founding member Leighton Antelman, knows how to put on a great show. We’re struggling just a bit, trying to figure out what we could even say to give this performance justice. The beauty of it really is that it came unexpected. We knew that Lydia is a great band, but this performance was truly next level.
The trio, with the addition of a live drummer, took the stage with ‘The Exit’, which coincidentally is also the opening track of their latest album. Musically, the intro to the song definitely sounded like something the night’s main act would do. Naturally, that’s why Lydia fits in so well on this tour. By no means does this mean that what you can expect is The Maine 2.0, because Lydia has a very unique sound that we don’t encounter much in this scene. One of the most interesting things about Lydia’s sound is Antelman’s distinct vocals. With voices like these, it’s usually an either you love it or hate it situation. Lucky for us, we absolutely adore and cannot get enough of it. Paired with his quirky, almost shy stage presence, it was an absolute pleasure to witness.
In many cases, when they’re out on tour, especially as an opening act, bands tend to deliver a set that’s 90% of the latest album. With Lydia, it was only natural to belt out a handful of songs from 2008’s ‘Illuminate’, a fan favourite. But whether they’re playing newer tracks or older tracks like ‘Hospital’ and ‘This Is Twice Now’, the band seemed so happy to be performing these songs on stage. That happiness reciprocated back to us. Their groovey tunes accommodated the dancing and swaying of the crowd. When Antelman asked: “Are you wondering yet, who the hell are this band?” towards the end of the night, we knew fully well just who the hell they are. There is no question that is band is special. If this is any indication of what their other performances will be like, this will be one hell of a tour for Lydia.
