Islands’ Nick Thorburn entered the stage at Harper’s Ferry sporting a spotless white suit. The other band members joined as a group of three – a smaller number than what had constituted Islands in the past – and in a diamond formation, Islands stood. Simple and composed, the band appeared aloof, prompting the question on everyone’s mind that Monday night: Did they even want to perform?
With little introduction, Islands coolly opened with “Switched On” from their album Vapours. Drummer Aaron Harris began the song with a consistent tribal beat and Thorburn’s distinctive voice shortly followed. He cooed over the sparkling instrumentals, minding his own space, never stepping far from his microphone. The Gordon brothers, too, remained in their respective corners, fenced in by synthesizers and keyboards.
The concert continued with little banter, as if friendliness was not worth the effort. Nick Thorburn stood practically stolid (besides occasionally facing a Gordon brother during paired melodies). His attitude might have seemed detached, but Thorburn’s sentimental crooning in “Tender Torture” proved otherwise. Against a weaving synth line and mood-altering tempo changes, Thorburn’s intimate vocals expressed a wholehearted passion for his music. The simplicity of their performance freed the music to express itself.
Opposite the calm, dignified performance, the crowd at Harper’s Ferry responded with turbulent fervor. Hidden beneath the melodies of a new song “Shot-gun Vision,” electronic dance beats inspired rabid dance-steps. During “Rough Gem,” the audience cheerfully inserted claps for missing pizzicato lines. Even with such ovation, the Islands remained collected and almost dismissive; Thorburn ended the show with nothing but a nonchalant “See ya.” However, upon a cooperative chant of “One more tune,” Islands re-emerged from the stage-door to perform the poignant 9-minute song “Swans (Life After Death),” heartening the audience to realize that Islands had cared all along.