Article and Photos by: Melanie Allen
After just under two years, Manchester Orchestra hit Austin on a tour promoting their latest album, A Black Mile To The Surface. This show brought together a significantly wide demographic, as the band formed over 10 years ago.
Opener All Get Out, who joined Manchester Orchestra for their three Texas tour dates, hit the stage shortly after doors opened, warmly welcoming the crowd. It would be hard to find a more perfect band to tour with Manchester Orchestra, in regards to sound, energy, and musical enunciation. Frontman Nathan Hussey has mentioned in interviews that Austin is his favorite city to play, and he made this very clear Saturday night. All Get Out’s Nobody Likes a Quitter (2016) is an emotional yet exciting ride, as was this band’s performance, which felt much too short.
Next up was Foxing, an indie post-rock band from St. Louis. Foxing’s hypnotizing vocals and guitar melodies sent the crowd into a reverie. Each member of Foxing was impeccably active, lively, and invested in each note of every song. Conor Murphy, frontman/vocalist, got off stage countless times to interact with the crowd; he also played trumpet throughout the set, which is one of the many things that sets this band apart from others in the same genre. Many at the show sported Foxing t-shirts, and many more left with one after their spot-on performance.
At last, Manchester Orchestra marched onto the stage. They promptly began their set, and the entire audience shifted, moving as close to the stage as possible. Frontman and vocalist Andy Hull never ceases to amaze with his vocals, as they always sound as powerful and entirely identical to the band’s studio recordings. The start of every single song evoked an enormous applause from the crowd, and about halfway through the set, Hull paused for a moment to state, “I think this is my favorite show that I’ve ever played,” which says a lot, considering how long Manchester Orchestra has been touring, let alone how long they have been a band. The biggest applause, though, came after the first few notes of “I Can Feel a Hot One,” a single off of Mean Everything to Nothing (2009). Manchester Orchestra is set to be touring through February—if they are stopping by near you, don’t miss out!
