REVIEW: The Beaches Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Leeds with their No Hard Feelings Tour
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY IVONA HOMICIANU ☆
THIS VALENTINE’S DAY, THE BEACHES TOOK THEIR NO HARD FEELINGS TOUR TO LEEDS — The energy in the room was electric, because what better way to celebrate the day dedicated to love than with a band whose discography spans mostly break up songs? Playing to a sold-out venue, the Canadian pop-rock band showed that they are ready for arenas.
Composed of Jordan Miller on vocals and bass, Kylie Miller and Leandra Earl on guitar and back up vocals, and Eliza Enman-McDaniel on drums, the quartet have been together since 2013, with Leandra Earl joining that year. The dynamics between the band members are what stand out the most. From an audience point of view, they are comfortable with each other and it brings a strong sense of unity as a band on stage. They seem to genuinely have fun playing and the optimistic energy is transmitted to the crowd.
The show begins with a ringtone, then a voicemail where we hear someone say they left their sweater at one of the members’ place. The intimate dimension of the music they share with the world is revealed from the beginning, and it will continue throughout the night, with a phone conversation before “Can I Call You In The Morning?” which highlights Kylie Miller’s contribution, and a recorded message from their tour manager before the last song of the night.
Jordan Miller is a powerhouse of a performer with an enticing voice and a confidence that makes her stage presence captivating. Although she is the frontwoman, each member gets their moment to shine. There’s an equality within The Beaches, with songs being inspired by not only Miller’s experiences but also the other members and they are highlighted as such when they’re on stage.
“Confessional” comes to mind when I think of the band—we’ve seen this with the success of “Blame Brett” and their entire previous album, but they’ve remained consistent and even more candid in their expression of their lives with No Hard Feelings. Before performing their single “Did I Say Too Much?,” they have a moment where they ask the audience for someone to come on stage and tell their own oversharing moment. It makes for a fun bit and reinforces the symbiotic relationship between the band and their listeners.
It is not the only moment where interactions with fans take the front and center spot. Since their entry on stage, they make sure that they greet their fans individually by looking and waving at them, really taking the time to familiarize themselves with each person in the crowd. That initiative continues throughout the show, with Jordan Miller focusing on different people while she sings. The same can be said for Kylie Miller and Leandra Earl, who, although have their designated places on stage, switch sides to make sure they give the chance to the fans to see them closer.
On their last tour, Miller would go down to the barricade during “Takes One to Know One” to sing with a lucky person. The tradition was changed for this tour with the release of their song “Jocelyn.” The track talks of rising to fame and having people look up to you while feeling undeserving of the praise. Given how the song speaks of their relationship to their fans, they made a “Jocelyn” pageant sash, which Miller gives to the designated “Jocelyn” of the night. She walks around the front row and chooses someone to whom she sings the bridge and last chorus of the song after adorning them with the sash, making for a wholesome experience.
The high energy of the band makes it difficult to take your eyes off them. Whether it’s dancing, jumping around or moving to different sides of the stage, there isn’t a moment where you’ll want to look elsewhere. Because of that, they have a moment to catch their breath with “Lesbian of The Year.” With two of the members leaving the stage, only Miller and Earl remain. The song details Earl’s experience with coming out late in life, so she gets this moment to have a speech and talk about life as a lesbian.
This particular show was emotional for Earl, since she revealed she had just gone through a break up a month prior and that she didn’t know why people looked up to her because she cried the entire day and is under the impression that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. She thanked the crowd for giving her a community where there’s mutual help and reiterated how thankful she is to have such a community. The emotion and honesty she expressed show once again the band’s dedication to connecting with their listeners.
The performance of “Lesbian of The Year” sees only Miller on vocals and Earl on keyboard with an acoustic version of the song. After that, the band performs “Edge of the Earth” which they dub as their only love song— it offers a moment of happiness after “Lesbian of The Year” while also showcasing the beauty of queer love.
They finish the show with their most popular song, “Blame Brett.” They hype the audience into participating as they loudly sing and clap along, then they take a moment to say goodbye at the end before leaving the stage… momentarily. The encore includes three more songs, “I Wore You Better” and “Sorry For Your Loss” before performing once again “Last Girls at The Party” which they also started the concert with.
This is only the beginning of The Beaches’ reach. They show that being honest and open about their lives is never a waste of time, as it is what connects them to their audience. They also deeply care about their fans and giving them the best night, even on Valentine’s Day, with a cathartic moment of screaming out your feelings to break up songs.
