Bombay Bicycle Club – Webster Hall – July 30, 2012

The London-based lads of Bombay Bicycle Club hit the stage of Webster Hall last night. Playing from their latest album, A Different Kind of Fix, they began with “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep.” Lead singer Jack Steadman raised his arms while singing, “Can I wake you up.” The cheering crowd was undoubtedly ready for the evening to begin, clapping along to “Your Eyes,” a dance-y number reminiscent of something by Friendly Fires. Treating fans to their back catalog, Bombay Bicycle Club played “Dust on the Ground,” from their debut album, I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose, and “Open House,” off the EP The Boy I Used to Be.

From old to new, the band introduced new material with Amber Wilson’s ethereal vocals opening the track and Steadman coming in midway with a snappy snare. In a recent interview with NME, he said of their new music: “There’s a sense of longing in it, and musically it’s very sample based.” The gang was in high spirits as they barreled into “Ivy and Gold.” Guitarist Jamie MacColl and bassist Ed Nash even linked arms and did a do-si-do while drummer Suren de Saram pounded the skins at a feverish pace. Steadman and MacColl then offered assistance, holding up a snare for de Saram.

As the crowd excitedly sang along to the chorus of “Evening/Morning,” the room filled with an echo of “I’m ready to owe you anything.” Steadman exclaimed how great it was to be in New York City and shared that they went to see a Yankees game but didn’t know what was happening. The boys were taking NYC by storm as they revealed they would be doing a DJ set post-show. The encore included crowd-favorite “Shuffle,” another new song and “What If.” Needless to say, fans were thoroughly satisfied with this gold-medal performance. —Sharlene Chiu

(Want more Bombay Bicycle Club? Watch them perform “Shuffle” and discuss where they get their inspiration and what’s next for them for The Bowery Presents Live channel on YouTube.)