Words and photos by Jordan Altergott.
As expected, the streets surrounding the Ogden Theatre in Denver were lined with fans waiting to enter the theater for The Neighbourhood‘s sold out show. The fifteen or so months since the last time that The Neighbourhood had played the Ogden has proved to feel more like a lifetime for the fans outside. This time around the venue was filled with much more anticipation and excitement with Wiped Out! being released at the end of October. Not only was the crowd buzzing with excitement over The Neighbourhood but there was also quite a lot of excitement in regards to the two opening acts.
The first band to take the stage was Hunny. Given that I was unfamiliar with them, I don’t have much to say. Their set was short but they gained the crowd’s attention rather quickly and kept up the energy rather easily. Later in their performance, they played a new song, “Natalie” from their debut EP. As the night progressed and Hunny left the stage the energy continued to build up.
Bad Suns were up next. Frontman Christo Bowman began the set by reaching into the crowd which immediately sparked a connection between it and them. With very dim lights or no lights on the stage at all, there was a heightened sense of intimacy in air. That sense of intimacy united the crowd together with sing-alongs to their hit “Cardiac Arrest” and “We Move Like The Ocean”. The relaxed atmosphere and the sense of unity between the fans and Bad Suns was pretty spectacular. Bowman expressed the band’s gratitude towards The Neighbourhood for inviting them on tour but also shared some banter as members of The Neighbourhood played with their monitors backstage. All in all, Bad Suns did a fantastic job of engaging the crowd and preparing them for what they’ve been waiting for all along, The Neighbourhood.
In the moments prior to The Neighbourhood’s set, screams of excitement filled the theatre. Then the moment finally arrived when the opening intro “Ferrari” commenced. The Flood Tour had a much different atmosphere in comparison to the last time that The Neighbourhood played Denver because the setlist included many songs that are yet to be released. However, their set also included many old songs such as “WDYWFM”, “Wires”, “Let it Go”, “Female Radio”, and “Sweater Weather”. During these older songs nearly everyone in the venue was singing along. It was surprise that you could still hear the band. The Neighbourhood closed off a very intimate and brilliant evening with their new single “R.I.P. 2 My Youth”. With the crowd once again singing along to the single, which is evidence of the band’s massive improvement, the large screen behind the stage debuted the new music video for the song. The Neighborhood’s stage presence and production make them a band that can’t only be heard, but instead a band that must be seen.
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