The xx at the Fillmore in Miami Beach

The first time I heard The xx on NPR I fell in love. I went ahead and downloaded the album right away. My boyfriend was very enamored with the band as well. So for Christmas this year I decided to give him tickets to see them (he kind of hinted that he wanted to go). The show was this passed Tue. February 5 and they did not disappoint.

The show opened with a Canadian band named Austra.  They really set the mood as they played dreamy tunes with strong ethereal vocals.  Their drums are reminiscent of something by Dead Can Dance.  The singer Katie Stelmanis has an amazing voice with a great range, a truly appropriate opener for The xx.  I will definitely be following Austra and possibly acquiring some of their work.

Austra

As The xx went on stage I thought it could be a boring performance since their music is so ultra mellow. I was wrong. The performance kept the audience’s attention the whole time. They seem to have a very strong fan base,  people knew all the lyrics and sang along! Their sound is impeccable. The vocals soothing , mysterious and perfectly executed by both Sim and Croft. The guitar riffs by Croft move you instantly.  Jamie xx rocked the beats, at times really making you want to dance.  I think they played almost every song from both albums XX and Coexist- coming back on stage for one encore.

The show made it worth going out on a school night, wow can’t wait to see them at Coachella.

xx