Jack Antonoff is declaring his love for a synthesiser. “The entire story of this band is that sound,” he says, referring to the chest-wobbling electronic hum that seems to envelop the crowd. Imported from Malaysia, he continues, the instrument’s pulsing electronics laid the foundations for the sound of his band Bleachers’ debut album, 2014’s Strange Desire: “A little bit John Hughes-y, a little bit fucked up,” as Antonoff describes it. As if to prove his point, the band then launch into Rollercoaster, their homage to 80s teen flicks and lusty adolescent hormones.
Much like a protagonist from one of Hughes’s films, Bleachers remains something of an underdog. While Antonoff is one of pop’s most in-demand songwriters and producers, working with the likes of Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Lorde, his band hasn’t quite scaled the commercial or critical heights of his collaborative efforts. As evidenced by the enthusiasm of tonight’s crowd, however, it hasn’t prevented them from cultivating a deeply passionate following.
