Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves Saturday night at Lady Danville’s sold-out show at The Troubadour. There was an energy so uniform filling the room as people waited for Lady Danville to appear on stage, that it felt as if everyone knew each other. The stage was set with string lights, small sailboats, and a rug in front of the microphone that added to the “Home Sweet Home” feel that was kept throughout the entire show.
The first couple of songs had a low, calming energy and the energy built and built with each composition. One of my favorite moments of the night was when they did a cover of MGMT’s incredibly popular song, “Kids,” which I happened to enjoy much more than the original. Unlike a lot of other shows I have been to, this show wasn’t all about the lead singer. The drums were set in the center, in line with the guitar on the left and keyboards on the right. It was strange to me at first, but Lady Danville used this setup to their advantage.
Composed of three members from UCLA’s A Cappella group, each member of Lady Danville has an incredible voice. I was refreshed by this break from the usual mono vocalist groups, and their voices add a unique depth to all their songs. At one point, all three members shared one microphone and sang “I Want You Back” with just a harmonica and guitar.
The whole thing felt like a coffee shop show, rather than a show at a major music venue. The band told stories relating to their songs, and when lead vocalist/guitarist Dan Chang asked how many people spoke French, about half the room cheered. He then replied with, “I know that many of you do not speak French,” and continued to talk about the story behind their song “Sophie Roux.”
At the end of the night, Lady Danville left the crowd with one of my favorites, “Cars.” And as they sang “And I know/ You said/ I’ve always been a bit too sensitive for a man,” the fans were laughing, talking with each other, and being captivated by Lady Danville’s performance, clearly not wanting the night to end.
