Last weekend, I was lucky enough to see the two best live performances I have ever been to. Kicking off the weekend with the Jungle Giants on Friday, I thought there was no chance that Spacey Jane’s Saturday show could live up to my experience on Friday. But, to my surprise, Spacey Jane’s live performance tied with the Jungle Giants for the best live show I’ve ever been to.
Spacey Jane’s show on October 29 was sold out and the venue – the Chapel in San Francisco – was packed. It was nearly impossible to move throughout the crowd. The audience, composed of mostly college-aged students, was rowdy. People danced, jumped, shoved, and screamed. The level of uncontained excitement around Spacey Jane’s music was something I have not seen since seeing One Direction live at 13 years old.
To celebrate Halloween, the band members dressed up in costumes. Within the first few chords of the first song, the entire audience was ecstatic. The band spent the whole show jumping, moving, and dancing, keeping the audience energized and engaged even during the slower songs.
The guitarist, Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, stood out throughout their entire set–and not just because of his full-body banana costume. Ashton’s energy exuded excitement and fun. He flipped his long curly hair, jumped, kneeled, and danced. Ashton’s love for performing was clear.
My favorite parts of their performance were when they played “Head Cold” and “Feeding the Family.” The emotion they showed during both songs felt authentic and whole-hearted. “Feeding the Family” was particularly fun; being one of their hit songs, the entire audience screamed when they heard the iconic first few notes. During the chorus, the band jumped and danced, matching the audience’s ecstatic energy.
To end their show, Spacey Jane played “Booster Seat” as the Chapel’s disco ball began shining onto the Chapel’s intricate ceiling. The audience swayed back and forth while everybody sang along. Ending the show on a more peaceful note, the audience was in no rush to exit and instead stayed, wishing the band would play yet another song.
Article and photos by Eliza Scheer