Local Natives at Joy Eslava

The unavoidable toe tapping and head bobbing. The bass riffs pulsating in your chest. The sing alongs, the encores, the combined energy from a crowd.

Is this what makes live music so great? I really don’t know, but I’m addicted. My last show was Tame Impala in June and I’ve been hoping to see something good since I arrived in Spain at the beginning of August.


Although Madrid is known to not have much of a music scene, it gets some good musicians passing through on their European tours. Last night, I was lucky enough to catch Local Natives at Joy Eslava.

The venue is small and was pretty perfect for a mellow show like this one. My two friends and I decided to avoid throwing elbows, so we went up a tier and scored a spot front and center.


I saw these guys in 2010 at Bonnaroo, but I wasn't too familiar with them at the time. Now, with the release of their album Hummingbird earlier this year, I've been listening quite a bit. But of course seeing the band live is definitely better than listening through my computer speakers as I fold laundry.

Three of the five guys share vocals as well as switch responsibilities on stage between guitars, percussions and keyboard. It's a fun show to watch and bassist Andy Hamm has pretty entertaining dance moves.


They ended the show with a Fleet Fox-y (according to my friend Alanna) acoustic version of "Who Knows Who Cares" before returning for the encore with "Sun Hands" - their most up-beat sing-along, perfect to end all shows as a crowd pleaser.


And as if Local Natives didn't provide enough live music for the night, I stopped by my friend Michael's flat for a few post-show glasses of wine.

He's in the works of putting together an acoustic musical group with a couple friends. We were lucky enough to be treated to a small, private show on the terrace.

You May Also Like

0 comments