You're Gonna Need A Little Music

Monday night I hopped in the car and drove three hours up the road to catch Yard Act at the Neptune Theatre in Seattle. Most days, I’d hop the train, but that’s indefinitely suspended thanks to a building fire. I’d joke about Portland Things, but honestly, this is a real pain in the ass. Still, it was great to see a show in person with Chris and Dan.

This was the first time I’d seen Yard Act since I caught them in Dublin in 2023. They’ve put out a ton of music since then, including this dancier, keys-driven track off their latest album. While the album cut is great, it doesn’t match the energy that James Smith and crew bring to live shows. Frenetically moving around the stage, spastically swinging arms… controlled chaos.

If you’re coming to this expecting Dark Days, it’s going to be a big departure, but give it a chance. It’ll grow on you.