LIVE REVIEW: Two Door Cinema Club // Carrboro, NC

By Amy Hanna

Since the release of their ethereal Changing of the Seasons EP, fans of Two Door Cinema Club have been waiting patiently for new material. This summer, the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Two Door Cinema Club’s newest work finally arrived for some lucky US fans. Carrboro, North Carolina was one of a few lucky cities as the third stop on Two Door Cinema Club’s most recent tour in the build-up to the release of their completed, yet still unreleased third album. Despite the mystery surrounding this new release, North Carolina fans lept the golden opportunity to hear some of what Two Door Cinema Club have been up to over the years.
The sold-out gig took place at Carrboro’s well-loved Cat’s Cradle. Two Door Cinema Club have played this venue four years back, a show quite a few fans in attendance at this show attended as well. North Carolina fans were pleasantly surprised at Two Door Cinema Club’s return for more reason that one; with the recent passage of anti-LGBT legislation, many artists have cancelled their North Carolina concert dates in solidarity.
However, Two Door Cinema Club separated themselves from this played-out move and instead donated profits from their show to Equality North Carolina. “To stand up for what is right, you have to do exactly that,” the band said in a letter on their website that addressed their decision, “and we’d rather do that within the state of North Carolina, rather than from afar.” Fans from the state and beyond showed deep appreciation for this decision, and this clarification of intent made for an inclusive, safe environment at the show.

First to take the stage that Thursday night was “not DJ” Bayonne, hailing from Austin, TX. He began his set unconventionally, with a layered loop of his pre-set banter, and the crowd was intrigued from the start.
As Bayonne’s set came and went, it became clear that Bayonne would be extremely difficult to classify. The vocals he delivered—which were very few and far between—felt quite manic at times, yet mesmerizing, ambient, staccato yet flowing. He spent a lot of his set at his soundboard, leaping about and creating wild soundscapes that felt incredibly delicate. His sharp drumming cut through these delicate electronics as he struck his symbols and floor toms with vicious ferocity. My own personal set highlight was his second song, “Appeals”, which felt coherent, beautifully textured, and clean–reminiscent of snowfall. Despite my confusion over Bayonne, the set proved nothing short of captivating.

Two Door Cinema Club took the undecorated, harshly lit stage to raucous applause and immediate singing. The set covered a lot of ground, including material from their two albums such “Sleep Alone”, “Undercover Martyn”, “Handshake”, and “What You Know”.
Vocalist and guitarist Alex Trimble presented a full spectrum of emotion with his vocal delivery. Since this show and this tour as a whole is completely devoid of visuals and all of Two Door Cinema Club’s usual trickery (I was a little disappointed they didn’t bring out any of the inflatables that they became a bit notorious for), the band appropriately made up for it with performance. One highlight in particular was “Changing of the Seasons”; a song from Two Door Cinema Club’s most recent EP released September 2013. The song itself manages to be infectious, upbeat, and heart wrenching all at once. Trimble performed the song with such a gentle touch in his voice and fire in his eyes, and the energy he and his band created sizzled on throughout the entire set.
Fans did receive the treat of new music from Two Door Cinema Club. Mid-set, the band played the brand new song “Game Show,” which offered insight to their new sound. The verdict? Harsher, edgier, more rock guitars, and infinitely more adventurous. Trimble’s voice reached incredible new heights by the end of the song, which left fans incredibly excited and still fairly curious about the band’s future sound.
Two Door Cinema Club covered both old and new ground on the familiar Cat’s Cradle stage. Fans have a slight idea of what is to come, but in a brilliant move, the band has left quite a bit secret. Fans will just have to come back around for the next tour to hear the rest of what Two Door have been cooking up. And judging by the relentless energy in the room that Thursday night, I’m sure everyone is still hungry for more.
To keep up with Two Door Cinema Club and Bayonne and check them out on tour, visit their websites below:
http://www.twodoorcinemaclub.com/
http:// www.bayonnemusic.com/