Trevor Powers, the person behind the moniker Youth Lagoon, performed at one of London’s most iconic and intimate venues, MOTH Club in Hackney. I discovered the show the day of through an Instagram post Powers had made while I was on the National Rail heading down to Greenwich, and I knew I couldn’t miss it. Earlier this year saw the release of Rarely Do I Dream, the follow-up to Heaven Is a Junkyard, the album that brought him out of retirement.

Moth club, in Hackney Central, London, is one of the most memorable and intimate venues in the city. Legendary and well-regarded within music circles, it was very thrilling to see such a big name in such a small space with a focused and committed crowd. Performing tracks from Heaven is a Junkyard as well as the 2011’s famed album, The Year of Hibernation and the latest album, Rarely Do I Dream, Youth Lagoon opened softly and transitioned smoothly into more percussion-heavy songs shining with intensity. s a 28-year-old, it was incredible to hear live the songs I had cherished and listened to in the car on the way to school at 14.

Strolling onto the stage through the crowd, Trevor Powers and his two-piece backing band, Logan Hyde on drums, occasional guitar, and piano for one song, and Sonny on bass, opened with the first track from their latest album, Neighborhood Scene. A great point of entry and portal to Youth Lagoon’s world and sound; static and dreamy, a dancing piano melody on top of Trevor Power’s personal family tapes. The crackle of the tape and chirp of children’s voices drag you into a colorful world of nostalgia and the bittersweet ache of the passing of time. After the remnants of this song passed, the band dove into “Rabbit” from Heaven is a Junkyard.

Always maintaining the intimacy of an experience that felt more like witnessing a private studio session, the show came across as less performative, but in a way that perfectly suited the nature of the album, the ambience of Powers’ voice, and the tone of the tracks. At times the band would switch it up, with a backing track playing percussion so the drummer could move onto guitar or piano. Toward the end of show, Trevor came to the front of the stage brandishing a baseball bat, which felt more nostalgic than violent. He then sank to the floor with his mic until only the front row could see him, and the venue became a dark, sparkling room filled with melancholy and resonant vocals.

The strength of the performance was in how unperformative it felt. It felt like peeking through the curtains to the curation of the album, the experimental and pensive nature of Powers’ sound, and watching the songs take shape in real time. The flow was disrupted only by the timely solos of his two accompanists, when the sounds on stage would brighten and intensify before mellowing back into the songs. Never once boring, Youth Lagoon’s live show was emotive, powerful, and raw; a real treat to experience in person. The bittersweet nostalgia of Rarely Do I Dream made for a sparkling, elusive, and soft energy live. And of course, ’17’ the penultimate track performed, one of Youth Lagoon’s most popular and everlasting songs, was surreal. Now, with everyone 14 years older than when it was first released, the track recaptured emotions and memories that had become lost to time, submerging everyone in them again as if it was all fresh, one of my favorite elements about music.

Words by Sydney
Photo by @zeesscope

Order Heaven Is A Junkyard by Youth Lagoon HERE