Looking scruffy, lanky, and oh-so-Spanish, the four men of Delorean took to Great Scott’s stage on Monday July 12, each wearing a white tee and a dark curtain of hair. A few cries of “¡Viva España!” rang out from a sold-out crowd, assuming the Barcelona-based band would be reveling in Spain’s World Cup victory from the day before. But if Delorean cared about fútbol, they didn’t let on. In fact, they hardly said anything the whole night, save for a “We are Delorean,” early in the show and a “Thank you very much” between songs. Instead, the band seemed poised to stay out of the plot as much as possible, as if they were just a medium to connect the crowd to the music.
Throughout the show, Delorean proved they know how to build a beat. Every track grew in layers – the band always found a fresh electro-rhythm or sparkling riff to add to the mix. A shower of drums ushered in each new sound, building tension before bursting into synth-y splendor. Delorean began the show with a solid trifecta, opening with a stretched out version of “Endless Sunset” and moving into the shimmery “Stay Close.” By their third song, “Real Love,” all hands were in the air, every plaid-clad kid capturing the moment on his or her smartphone. Those without 3G capabilities just stretched their fingers to the sky, plugging in the old fashioned way to Delorean’s galactic goodness.
Washed in neon specks from the resident disco ball, Delorean may not have said much but they honored the energy of their music. Lead singer Ekhi Lopetegi jammed in the back with the drummer, stepping to the mic only when necessary. Unai Lazcano flopped gloriously over his soundboard, throwing up fist pumps and hopping like a madman to the beat. Indeed, they were cosmic ambassadors to an ethereal dance party, raining space-age vocals and blipping drum tracks infinitely over the crowd. After a one-song encore, they tilted their pints of beer in appreciation to the audience and headed off stage. Though the band was gone the leftovers of their electric haze still hovered, ambassadors no longer needed. Delorean ships out to Australia this fall, but check out their album Subiza for some post-World Cup España pride.