The Backseat Lovers @ Omeara
There’s an energy in the air tonight. Y’know, that buzz that comes around when a collective of indie kids discover a DIY indie band from the states and want it to be their secret.
But it’s no secret when hundreds of them pack into the Omeara and the body heat has you questioning whether the paint was flaking off the walls prior to the event.
The Backseat Lovers hesitantly kick things off with Close Your Eyes; it turns out shyness is charismatic these days- if only I were born a decade later.
Their bashfulness is supported by a Herculean talent, however. As soon as Joshua Harmon’s jaw starts swinging, you know you’re in for a delightful surprise of momentous guitar solos from someone who forgot the crowd was there.
Truly, the four-piece are the definition of a garage band with uncontrollable and unrealised skill. They command the audience with music alone.
There’s no patter with the hecklers, he literally sips on a bottle of water after being called beautiful as they’re in between songs. We’re eagerly waiting on a response, and that response comes in the form of operatic vocals- and it’s greeted with a smiling acceptance.
The dedication to the craft is evident when Will, an avid fan who’s been shredding The Backseat Lovers at home, is thrust onto the stage to take Joshua Harmon’s place on guitar. Harmon visibly had no idea what to do with his hands while he was singing. The songs are so meticulously refined that the hands and jaw are in sync.
Right now The Backseat Lovers are for the cool kids, but like a fusion reactor with a limitless power supply, they’ll soon be on every Spotify playlist you plug into.
Watch out.