Written and Photos by Bang Ho
Chvrches have been making music together for a decade now this past September, and through it all, they keep reaching new heights in their music and stage presence. They played three shows at ACL Live Moody Theater to a crowd that was beyond enthusiastic. Before the show, I got to talk to some of the hard-core fans that shared their story of how they drove in from San Antonio and waited hours outside the venue to ensure front row spots for the spectacular synth-pop show. While I love Chvrches and have seen them beyond a dozen times handily, I was not planning on seeing all three shows in Austin (chalk it up to early bedtimes for work and nearsightedness). After night one –I quickly realized that would have been a mistake and managed to secure tickets to all three nights. The setlist was the same all three nights, but the multiple costume changes and banter were unscripted and dazzling. While I was blessed enough to have been on the second row of a 50 person acoustic set in 2019, this tour is a very different kind of magic that blew away all preconceived expectations. The new album is the same Chvrches we’ve loved since the beginning, but it is arguably their best body of work and different in every right. There’s a very raw blend of energy and emotion that seemingly came effortlessly on stage that was reflected in the viscerally energized audience. After the year 2020 devoid of live shows and an uncertain 2021 rife with live show cancellations, this trio of shows was the perfect way to send off 2021.
