Local Natives live in Toronto

photos by Marcin Barciak

Walking into the Kool Haus Saturday night, you could feel the excitement oozing out of people’s sweaters. It is the beginning of fall and the weather is serving itself to hats and jackets, but inside the venue it is hot as hell.

Local Natives hit the stage just on time, causing a wave of screams and claps across the room, packing everyone in towards the center with only a few stragglers sitting on the side benches.

“I’ve seen them like five times already and every time it just keeps getting better and better!” says a girl standing next to me gazing towards the stage, barely holding herself together.

The band’s music, though cheerful at times, is filled with an underlying darkness coming through in, at times, cathartic, personal lyrics. This LA collective has gone from being just some other band to a band people run to see in just a couple of years. The fame, however, has not disturbed their humble attitude. That passion is very obvious during a live show.

“I met this guy outside, it was his birthday,” says Taylor Rice, lead vocalist, “there he is, let’s all wish him a happy birthday.” The entire crowd joined in on Rice’s small act of kindness.

With nothing special but a rainbow range of lights to set the mood, Local Natives played a full hour set and no time was wasted before the encore either. I can’t say what it is exactly, but there is something magical about the Local Natives show – the crowd seemed, in a way, enchanted, swaying from side to side. As the show wrapped up people wondered off on the streets, satisfied.