A trip to Dreamland: escaping reality with the Glass Animals

Upon first access into the Glass Animals “Live in the Internet” show, it was clear we had teleported back into the time of AOL messenger with the bandmates. The show was largely emulating the early 2000s, with clunky computer graphics, large desktop monitors, vintage gaming consoles, and bright pinks and blues coloring our screen. In a time where we are all sick of our computer screens, it was a nice change of pace from the internet we see today. Instead of a source of stress, the screen became a source of art and wonder during this live set.

 As an homage to the early days of the internet, the show also featured a chat function in the theme of AOL that allowed members of the audience to connect (albeit in a virtual and short-lived way). There were even minigames in the browser, though the show was so intriguing that it was hard to look away and check them out.

The ethereal beats of the Dreamland (2020) theme began to play, introducing the virtual audience to the album’s soundscape. In line with their overall “blast to the past” theme, the group opened with the song “Life Itself” from their sophomore album, How to be a Human Being (2016). They continued with a special release of “Tangerine” featuring singer-songwriter Arlo Parks whose smooth voice fit in well with the warm and dreamy visuals accompanying the song. Tangerine visuals were everywhere as part of the drastic transformations for each song made possible by the online format, feeling more like a drawn-out music video than a live show. 

The mood instantly shifted upon the next song, “Hazey.” This was a return to their album, Zaba (2014), in which rainforest visuals that are so reminiscent of this album made their way to the stage. This song featured a guest star, an incredible contortionist dancer whose performance fit in perfectly with the song. For the first time in forever, we were gleefully glued to our computer screens.

Next came “Hot Sugar” which featured 2000s pool party vibes meshed with bright pinks and blues. We then heard the beginning of “Tokyo Drifting” and waited anxiously for a guest appearance from Denzel Curry, which had been hinted at via the band’s Instagram page. As his part in the song drew near, the camera focused in on a vintage computer screen from which he streamed his feature in the song. Although we were happy to see him make an appearance weaved in with the early 2000s computer theme, we were both admittedly disappointed to be watching a performance on a screen within another screen. 

They returned to their older work with a performance of “The Other Side of Paradise,” which stayed with the overall theme of the show. Frontman Dave Bayley seemed to do all he could to connect with the audience, constantly interacting with us even through the screen. He seemed to have a knack for interacting with the camera like it was an audience member at a live show. “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” followed with trippy claymation-style visuals that transported us into space while still staying in line with the early 2000s theme with the colors used.

Next up was “Heat Waves,” which featured a backdrop made up of a crowd of faces on a Zoom screen, and before starting the song Bayley proclaimed, “This is as close as we’ll get to a real crowd.” It was sweet to see everyone dancing in their rooms, just as we had been for the entirety of the show. This definitely came nowhere near the experience of seeing the audience in person, but considering the circumstances, I realized this was as good as we’re going to get. 

After the song, Bayley walked back over to the computer where he opened the show and pushes a Glass Animals themed game cartridge into a vintage Super Nintendo, which was perfectly on theme for the next song “Season 2 Episode 3”—a fan favorite that conveniently fit into the theme of the concert as it was produced over beats that mimic those of the original Super Mario video game. As the whole group bopped along while performing this song, they were surrounded by 8 bit graphics that resembled Super Nintendo games, solidifying the authenticity of the theme for the show.

One particularly impressionable part of the performance was the next song, “Youth.” The band played home videos from their childhood on the screen behind them, making this portion of the concert very intimate behind the inevitable distance between the band and all of their fans.

To end the show, the Glass Animals performed two of their older songs, “Gooey” and “Pork Soda.” As the ocean and pond-like beats of “Gooey” began to play, the graphics shifted to an underwater theme and Bayley turned to the camera and noted that he would normally jump into the crowd for this song and that him and the audience would “all get sweaty together.” As the song transitioned to “Pork Soda,” keyboard player Dave MacFarlane tossed Bayley a pineapple and they all began to jam to the mantra of “pineapples are in my head” that comprises the chorus and a pineapple shaped disco ball lowered from the ceiling. As the song neared an end, the band thanked the audience one final time and the pineapple that Bayley had been dancing with was thrown at the computer in front of them, causing it to explode and ending the show with a “404 error.”

Although the show didn’t come quite close to the real thing (something both of us admittedly anticipated), as far as 2020 goes, it was one of the best nights we’ve spent alone in a while. Because for the first time in a long time, we weren’t quite alone, but part of something bigger—an audience of thousands of fans like us.

Written by Tovah Popilsky and Alice Markman

Design by Tovah Popilsky