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Review by special guest correspondent Angeleeta Sosnowski, photos and video by Stairwellbaby and The XX 

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, is usually a time for chocolates, flowers, and spending time with someone you love. This Valentine’s Day was spent with a band that I’ve recently grown to love, The xx, at the second of two sold out shows at the Granada Theater in Dallas.

Opening with the spellbinding “Angels”, it quickly became clear that this would be no ordinary show. Romy Croft and Oliver Smith have a near perfect blend of vocal talents, covering the spectrum of emotions with ease. The effortless way they told their tales of heartache and love was impressive. The tightness of the vocals and musicians create an album quality live show. Paired with and ethereal light display, you couldn’t help but be pulled in.

The set itself was a blend of both xx and Coexist, seamlessly connecting the two albums throughout. Another standout song was “Crystallized”, and it demonstrated that things could get a bit funky when needed. Another great bit of set selection happened with the potent trio of “VCR”, followed by “Islands” and finally one of the band’s signature songs off of Coexist, “Try”.

After a rousing version of Infinity closed the set, a three song encore quickly followed. First up was Intro, the first track off their first album, which caused the crowd to go wild. You know you’ve got a great tune when no lyrics are necessary to get a crowd pumped up. Tides came second, followed by the final song from the first album, Stars. Another slow burner that built to a great close.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen a band build such a great atmosphere for a show and execute their material so well. It is a rare treat, especially for a group with only two albums under their belt. My one quibble with the show was the audience itself. Dallas showed up in typical fashion, with far too many scenesters who would rather talk instead of take it all in.

Next time The xx come to town I’ll be going for sure. And will make sure I get a spot up close where the true fans are.

Setlist

Angels
Heart Skipped a Beat
Fiction
Crystalised
Chained
Reunion
Far Nearer (new)
Sunset
Night Time
Swept Away
Shelter
VCR
Islands
Try
Infinity

Encore:

Intro
Tides
Stars

Photos and video by Stairwellbaby and The XX