It’s always a pleasant and refreshing surprise when a band or artist performs their album in its entirety from front to back; and last weekend’s BRONCHO show at Thalia Hall delivered a seamless performance of their freshest record Natural Pleasure. After a seven-year hiatus from releasing new music, indie rock band BRONCHO graciously returns with yet another gem of an album that explores a new yet welcoming realm of sounds for the band. This time around, BRONCHO departs from their noisy swift guitars; instead utilizing a more acoustic and mellow lexicon with their distinguished reverbed vocals that have set them apart from many other dreampop bands.
Ditching the traditional opener to headliner formula, BRONCHO had other plans for their fans, as the first 20 minutes of the evening consisted of an arthouse-esque infomercial promoting their merch that was projected on a loop to the stage. It was definitely a whimsical way to commence the show as it matched the whole aesthetic of the new album and the band's quirks. The show kicked off with a softer undertone, as they performed Natural Pleasure front to back for the first half of their satisfyingly long setlist.
BRONCHO preserved their energy for the second half of their set; as the setlist was loaded with most of their upbeat hits from across their impeccable discography. It included favorites like “Weekend,” “Stay Loose” and “Jenny Loves Jenae.” BRONCHO brought the dreamy vibes to Thalia Hall as fans were captivated for their entire euphoric set. It almost didn’t even feel like they performed a whopping 30 song setlist! (Perks of not having an opener!) Before their generous 5 song encore, they closed out their main set with their iconic song “Try Me Out Sometime.”
Their third studio album, Double Vanity was shown extra love as they included four out of five songs in their encore from this record. With a warm and bittersweet conclusion, BRONCHO ended the night with the perfect run of songs; “Soak up the Sun,” “Two Step,” “Wanna,” “I Know You,” and Just Enough Hip to Be Woman’s explosive track; “China.”
I would consider BRONCHO as one of the most underrated hidden gems of the indie rock scene over the last two decades. Now releasing their 5th studio album, they still continue to impress and innovate while staying true to their eccentric style that always translates beautifully on stage. With a definitive identity in the vast world of alternative music, BRONCHO has left their mark among those that have been lucky enough to discover their music.
All photos by Andrew Lagunas.
