Like Youth Lagoon’s debut album, their live show keeps it pretty simple.  Trevor Powers on piano and vocals, Logan Hyde on guitar, and a soundboard. No mas.  On November 14, 2011, Youth Lagoon played at the small, intimate Mercury Lounge in New York City.  At 11:05 p.m., strolling on stage calmly in a ragged shirt and baseball cap, Trevor sat at his piano, said a quick hello, and began the show with Posters, one of the stronger songs on Youth Lagoon’s debut album, The Year of Hibernation.

This was a great show that maintained the tone and quality of the album, and the setting matched the emotion perfectly.  The only light for the show was provided by two red lightbulbs and three lights planted in the ceiling, creating an intimate vibe, a private show for Youth Lagoon’s closest friends.  Whatever electronics Youth Lagoon used during the show, it worked, creating an ethereal sound that, combined with the red lighting, felt like the show was taking place in a dark cave.

Unlike the album, where Trevor’s vocals never overpower the music, his voice in concert dominated.  While he strained through each track (he told the crowd he had a sore throat…and that he was hopped up on cough syrup), he kept perfect pitch and sang with despair and affection.

Overall, the songs were more upbeat and uptempo live than on the album; maybe it was his voice, or the electric guitar which also had more prominence live than on the album.  Either way, you felt the emotion of songs live and the two men alone on stage only amplified the feelings of loneliness and isolation that so many of the songs are centered on.

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