Live Review: Washed Out

What better way to bring the season to a close than to attend a show from one of the most summer-sounding bands out there, Washed Out? I had the pleasure of seeing the group at a benefit show for Tumor-schmumor at a new venue in South Carolina, and man, was it killer.

Kicking off the evening was local act Keith Mead, a local solo act, joined by an accompanying band to power through a short setlist filled with a mix of slow jams and summer-y fuzz rock that had the whole room moving.

A short wait later, three guys and a girl walk out from behind stage, each adorning a hand-embroidered green beard over their mouth. Those Lavender Whales were fronted by Aaron Graves, who, in this year, discovered a tumor in his brain. All proceeds of the show went to his foundation, Tumor-schmumor.

Despite this, he managed to lead the group through a genrebending self prescribed "friendship folk-pop" set that shook the stage, and excited many (Aaron, during one song, played the kazoo, a timeless and oft-forgotten instrument).

After what felt like an impossibly long time, the lights came down, and the man himself came out. Ernest Greene, also known as Washed Out, wasted no time, diving into one of his most beloved tracks, "It All Feels Right". With only two albums and an EP to his name, each of which very heavily electronic influenced, I was very skeptical how it would translate into a live show. However, he did not fail to impress, and his 14-or-so-song setlist was packed with hit after hit. His hazy beats created an atmosphere unlike anything I have ever seen at a show, where the crowd was half in a trance while dancing like crazy. It all ended with a few crowd-surfers, massive amounts of screaming, and a short encore with the crowd exerting the last bits of their energy to dance to just one more song.

He only has a few more tour dates left in support of Paracosm, and I highly advise you try and catch him if you're in the Western US before he takes a break!

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