On the night of Friday, Feb. 26, SOhO hosted a sold out show as Santa Barbara gathered to see the highly anticipated Neon Indian return to the stage after a four-year hiatus.
Opening the night was Puro Instinct, who warmed up the crowd with shoegaze dream pop as front woman Piper Kaplan’s crooning vocals and Jem and the Holograms-esque aesthetic set the tone for a dance-filled evening.
The night truly began, however, when Neon Indian hit the stage. Kicking off the set with “Dear Scorpio Magazine” off of their recent album Vega Intl. Night School, it was clear from the crowd’s explosive reaction that the sold out show would be one for the SOhO books. One song in and already with the crowd thoroughly worked into a sweat, Alan Palomo, AKA Neon Indian, leaned into the mic and confessed that he was recuperating from the flu, slyly attributing any sultry vocals of the evening to his slow recovery before seamlessly diving into the album’s single, “Annie.” Any signs of the band’s deficiencies, however, were imperceptible as both Palomo’s music and stage presence brought a palpable energy to the venue.