Bastille brings the house down

UK band Bastille’s performance wows the crowd at the Fox Theater in Pomona

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photo taken by Elise Mariano

The Fox Theater’s neon sign at the front entrance.

The crowd at Pomona’s Fox Theater on Nov. 21 was very different from many concerts that I have been to, as there were no 13 year olds to be seen taking in Bastille’s performance. This older crowd was no less enthusiastic, but definitely quieter (there wasn’t much screaming that drowned out Dan Smith’s voice).

Opening acts Grizfolk and UK artist Ella Eyre did a good job of pumping up the crowd for the main act.  Grizfolk, a Swedish alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, performed first. Among the songs they performed were their single, “The Struggle” as well as “Vagabonds.”

Although the screams were pretty loud for Grizfolk, when Ella Eyre took the stage the crowd got even more excited. Eyre is well known for her collaboration with Bastille in a cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs.: Eyre’s powerful vocals and catchy tunes had the crowd dancing and singing along. She closed off her set with Comeback, a personal favorite.

Bastille closes the show with "Pompeii." Dan Smith brought Grizfolk and Ella Eyre back on stage.
photo taken by Elise Mariano
Bastille closes the show with “Pompeii.” Dan Smith brought Grizfolk and Ella Eyre back on stage.

When Bastille came on stage, the Fox was filled with screaming fans. Bastille opened their 16-song set with “Things We Lost in the Fire,” which seemed like a warmup for things to come. The band showcased a song titled “Blame,” from their upcoming album. The new song had a more alternative rock sound to it, in contrast to their current “dark pop” sounds. Their set list included songs from Bad Blood, All This Bad Blood, as well as a couple of popular songs from their mixtapes.

The band showcased a song titled “Blame,” from their upcoming album. The new song had a more alternative rock sound to it, in contrast to their current “dark pop” sounds.

— Elise Mariano

Lead vocalist Dan Smith never failed to disappoint with his silly, but signature dance moves that came with each song. During a slow song titled “Oblivion,” everyone (except for a person with a lighter) got out their phones and turned on their flashlights to illuminate the venue. Chris “Woody” Wood, the drummer, even got out his phone and started waving his light from on stage. After this song, Ella Eyre came back onstage to sing “No Scrubs” with Smith. Both of their powerful vocals and perfect harmonies had fans dancing and singing along.

Bastille closed their set with one of their singles, “Flaws.” Smith climbed off the stage and walked into the crowed (with a security escort) to greet fans as he sang. The band came back for an encore of three songs, including their most popular song off All This Bad Blood, “Of the Night.” Smith called Grizfolk and Ella Eyre back on stage to finish off the night with “Pompeii,” Bastille’s most popular song. All three artists and the crowd were jumping, singing and dancing all together as the show came to an end.