On April 17th at New York City’s Irving Plaza, La Dispute stood in front of simulated shapes and animated colors, rarely still, vivifying the world of their newest album Panorama. I watched from the edge of the crowd, ready to be propelled into La Dispute’s visceral post-hardcore madness. The show commenced with the first three tracks of Panorama — “Rose Quartz,” “Fulton Street I,” “Fulton Street II” — whose highlights were the enigmatic chanting of “Will I ever leave flowers by the street?” in “Fulton Street I” and the climactic yelling of “I was waiting for the anger to change,” in “Fulton Street II.” Then, the band launched into “a Departure” from 2011’s Wildlife, only beginning to introduce fans to the others worlds La Dispute has created.
Panorama is just another example of La Dispute’s cohesive and creative techniques of expressing themselves. With an affinity for tragedy, they continue to find new routes to take to portray grief and existentialism, and this time they do so by exploring the purposes of healing crystals, including mentions of rhodonite and rose quartz. Through connecting certain stones to specific types of pain, La Dispute paints diverse portraits of troubles endured by individuals alone and whole communities collectively.
Lead vocalist Jordan Dreyer radiated relentless passion both in song and speech, even when laughing about his tendency to get wrapped up in the microphone cord as he thrashed around the stage. He also discussed La Dispute’s goal to create an ultimate safe space, which is why they’ve been on a mission to integrate nonprofit/advocacy organizations into their shows. In a recent tweet, the band ambiguously mentioned another tour for 2019, so if you weren’t able to catch them this time around, make sure to make it next time.
La Dispute Setlist:
Rose Quartz
Fulton Street I
Fulton Street II
a Departure
Stay Happy There
View From Our Bedroom Window
First Reactions After Falling Through the Ice
The Castle Builders
Sad Prayers for Guilty Bodies
New Storms for Older Lovers
Footsteps at the Pond
Harder Harmonies
Woman (In Mirror)
a Poem
Rhodonite and Grief
Anxiety Panorama
I See Everything
a Broken Jar
You and I in Unison