Nashville duo Cherub headlined a packed show at the Georgia Theatre last week, along with openers Modern Measure and Daily Bread. All three acts were of the EDM persuasion, but featured softer, more relaxed tones than the headbanging types like Skrillex commonly found at large festivals.
Modern Measure played first to a sparse crowd, kicking off the show with their positive, enthusiastic energy. Next to play was Daily Bread, and while his set was similarly electronic, the overall feel was much heavier and intense. There was a little too much bass for my taste, and I think he would have done well to incorporate some sort of brass, or at least introduce a little variety in instrumentation.
By the time Cherub entered the stage, the crowd was packed all the way to the upper deck of the bar. The eagerly anticipated entrance did not disappoint. When the band walked onto the stage, cloud-shaped lights descended from the ceiling. The lights moved up and down throughout the set, changing colors with the music.
This was by far the best stage design I have seen at the Georgia Theatre. It was creative and, honestly, mesmerizing. There were several times that I had to drag my gaze from the lights to the stage so that I wouldn’t miss the entire performance. Halfway through Cherub’s set, I moved from the front row to the balcony so I could see the lights where they were designed to hit, instead of the beams hitting behind me. I give that set design a 10 out of 10, and judging from the crowd’s reaction, I think they would agree.
Unfortunately, the performance did not live up to the extravagant design. The instrumentation was great, with the guitar work standing out as the star of the show. However, the vocals did not match the group’s recorded sound, and it was often difficult to understand what was being said, or sung. It’s extremely difficult to re-create recorded sound in a live setting, especially when it comes to vocals. However, for a band of Cherub’s size, I was expecting this and was ultimately disappointed.
The band’s biggest hit by far is “Doses and Mimosas,” which charted at No. 43 on Billboard’s Rock Airplay chart in 2014. They saved this track for the encore, and it was, in my opinion, the best part of the show. I think it was a smart move to save this track for the end—they performed it well and left the crowd feeling excited and satisfied.
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