Best Coast at The Borderline
Best Coast
The Borderline, London
September 18, 2012
by Joanna Orland
On Tuesday September 18th 2012, the Californian duo of Bethany Cosentino (vocals, guitar) and Bobb Bruno (various instruments, notably guitar) flew in from California to London and went straight to The Borderline – the venue where they were to play one of their five European dates on this leg of the tour.
It’s no coincidence that this was the venue chosen for this exclusive and sold out Best Coast gig. Walking in through the entrance and down the stairs of The Borderline, the walls are lined with photos and listings of past gigs that have taken place at this venue over the years. Legends including Amy Winehouse, Bloc Party, Blur, Bryan Adams, Elliott Smith, Mystery Jets, PJ Harvey, Pulp, R.E.M., The Verve, and Vampire Weekend, but to name a few, have all graced the tiny stage that lies at the bottom of the staircase. Foreshadowing even bigger and better things for the band Best Coast, this show was merely evidence of how deserving they are of the success they have already achieved and will continue to build on over the years.
For those not overly familiar with Best Coast, the band from Los Angeles have the musical sensibility of classic Californian Beach Music reminiscent of some of the 1960’s surf scene, with overtones of 90’s grunge, predominantly emanating from singer Bethany’s vocals. This combination made us feel like we were living in the past, but with Bethany’s engaging and perfectly pitched vocals, as well as her vulnerable, honest and relatable lyrics, we were right there in the moment alongside her and Bobb.
Yes, a lot of the songs do sound similar to one another, but each has their own unique hook and with Bethany’s emotive and stunning vocal performance carrying each song, the audience never lost interest. It doesn’t hurt that their songs are so short, with over two albums worth of songs to choose from in their repertoire, their set was still only an hour-long. They left the audience completely crushing on Bethany and wanting more of BEST COAST !
