Words and Photos by Saidy Lopez
Civil Twilight, Rough Trade, January 14, 2015
I must admit that the cold weather zaps my motivation to venture out and shoot shows. However, when I heard that alternative rock band, Civil Twilight, (Nashville transplant, originally hailing from Cape Town, South Africa) was going to be playing in New York, I just knew I would have to suck it up, layer up and head out to Rough Trade in Brooklyn for my first show of 2015.
Singer-songwriter and Oklahoma native Zeke Duhon and the indie pop band from Arkansas, Knox Hamilton, warmed up the crowd. After the crowd finished shaking it out to Knox Hamilton’s very danceable “Work It Out” they started to move closer to the stage. It got a little tighter up front and a whole lot warmer as Steven McKeller and crew walked onto the stage and opened with the U2-esque “Fire Escape,” off their sophmore album “Holy Weather.” They played several songs off their self-titled debut album and “Holy Weather” including the sultry “Please Don’t Find Me.” The guys looked to be having a fun time on stage and their shared smiles and joyful energy helped to shake up the crowd.
They performed the intensity filled new track, “Holy Dove.” Judging from the vibrating floor and the highly spirited crowd chanting along and clapping, I would say it was hit. They closed out the set with a cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” and Steven surprised us by performing in the middle of the crowd. Of course everyone was eagerly waiting to hear the epic hits “Human” and “Letters From The Sky,” which have been featured on a multitude of TV shows and films, including One Tree Hill and The Vampire Diaries. Civil Twilight delivered by performing the stirring songs beautifully during their encore.
The band is currently working on their third album with Wind-up Records. It is set to be released in the Spring. I think their fans are not only anxiously awaiting warmer weather, but also Civil Twilight’s new album and future tour.
Click on any photo for hi-res version or to begin slideshow.
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