BEST COAST & WAVVES WARM UP TERMINAL 5

There’s nothing like a sweat drenched adrenaline fever to keep you warm in the winter. Wavves takes the stage as I’m mid-run into Terminal 5. The last time I crossed paths with Wavves, it was in LA, at FYF 2009, and I ended up in the middle of a mosh pit, fearing for my life and simultaneously having the best time of my life. I should have known that seven years later, Wavves can still make a crowd lose its shit. No seriously, a guy climbing over that grey gate to get to the stage almost hit me (thank you for saving me, sweet mystery security guard). But hey, I can’t say I don’t love a passionate crowd.

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“So we’re exactly a week into this tour, Cherry Glazerr and Best Coast, very excited,” frontman Alex Gates proclaims. The four-piece rock band will be on tour with all California-based bands through March, and, if there’s anything I know for sure, bassist Stephen Pope will be headbanging his amazing hair the entire time. That’s the kind of dedication that gets me truly amped. Gates proceeds to tell us he has a present for us, and moments later balloons and blow up aliens float down into the crowd. Gates screams “This song is from one of my favorite games of all time,” and the band begins to play “Nine is God” and “Dog” from the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack.

Wavves

On a final note, Gates bares his soul before the last song, “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m riddled with personal problems, but when I see people singing the words along, it makes me feel…so if you feel fucked up, know everyone feels fucked up sometimes.” I feel that, Gates, I really do. The crowd remains enthusiastic as ever all the way through the end of the set, united in both emotion and sweat, happily clutching their blow up aliens.

Wavves

Best Coast takes the stage. Five words: sheer full-body sparkle jumpsuit. The rock duo, widely known as Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno, have three other members joining them on tour. Starting strong, “When I’m With You,” a fan favorite from their first 2010 album “Crazy for You,” graces our presence and Cosentino’s voice fills out the enormous venue flawlessly. “I’ll never forget the first time we played Terminal 5. I have the fondest memories of all the legs hanging off the balcony. And now I guess I have two. This is a song I think you all know…It’s called ‘Boyfriend’.” She throws flowers into the crowd while everyone sings along to another one of their earliest hits.

Best Coast

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Being from California as well, I stumbled across my first Best Coast show in a tiny room in Echo Park sometime around 2009. Seeing their progress first hand, it’s clear the band has made each and every one of their accomplishments with nothing but talent and love to spread to their fans. “I don’t know what the fuck we did to deserve this kind of reaction but thank you! This is going to spoil us for the rest of the tour. This is another new one,” Cosentino sings out as the band plays “In My Eyes” and multiple crowd surfers float above the crowd. Peppered with sweaty dancing, California-nostalgia, and dreamy vibes, the evening comes to a close and we say goodbye to the little legs hanging off the balcony. Until next time.