Khruangbin Brought Good Vibes to DC
Words by Dan Rozman
Photos by Jackie Lee Young
DC music fans packed The Anthem for Khruangbin on the first of two sold-out nights not too long ago. The Texas trio sold out both a Monday and a Tuesday on their A La Sala Tour.
Bill Cavender, who owns Black Heath Meadery in Richmond, took the train up for the show at The Anthem on Sept. 23. He summed up the show perfectly: “Khruangbin rides a groove like no other. Stage presence and sparse stage setup integrated beautifully with the sonic journey.”
The band — Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and DJ Johnson on drums – split the night into two parts. They kicked things off with songs from their new album A La Sala. After a break, they played their older hits that had fans swaying and dancing.
Watch the official music video for “Hold Me Up (Thank You)” by Khruangbin on YouTube:
The simple stage setup, with three windows in the background, worked great. The band members moved around in cool, planned-out ways that made the show even better to watch. They didn’t need fancy lights or big screens to put on an amazing show.
Khruangbin’s music is hard to put in a box. Their name means “Engine Fly, or airplane” in Thai, and some of their sound comes from old Thai funk music. But they mix in surf rock and soul too. They don’t sing much, but nobody seems to mind.
Between sets, the sound of falling rain filled The Anthem. It was a nice, calm break before more music. The second half got everyone excited with fan favorites like “María también” and “Time (You and I).”
For the encore, Khruangbin played “Zionsville” and ended with “People Everywhere (Still Alive).” By the time the show was over, the whole place was buzzing with happy energy.
Watch Khruangbin play “People Everywhere” live for Austin City Limits on YouTube:
More and more people are discovering Khruangbin’s unique sound. Based on this show at The Anthem, it’s easy to see why. They’ve found a special way to make music that just works, keeping things simple but amazing at the same time.
* Set 1: A LA SALA
* Fifteen Fifty‐Three
* May Ninth
* Ada Jean
* Farolim de Felgueiras
* Pon Pón
* Todavía Viva
* Juegos y Nubes
* Hold Me Up (Thank You)
* Caja de la Sala
* Three From Two
* A Love International
* Les Petits Gris
* Set 2: Older Albums
* Cómo me quieres
* Dern Kala
* So We Won’t Forget
* Evan Finds the Third Room
* María también
* Time (You and I)
* Encore:
* Zionsville
* People Everywhere (Still Alive)
Here are some photos of Khruangbin performing at The Anthem on Sept. 23, 2024. All pictures by Jackie Lee Young.
