The xx: Forest Hills Stadium 2017
Our 'Summer of FUV' kicked off with The xx. (Photo by Adam Macchia)
The Summer of FUV kicked off in grand style on a gorgeous, breezy night in Queens as The xx opened up a two-night stand at Forest Hills Stadium. Enhanced by a bold, modern light show, the core trio of Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie xx delivered a crafty, hypnotic set featuring songs from their third album, I See You, which was released earlier this year.
The Londoners consider New York City a second home, and fans welcomed them back by dancing in the seated sections as well as on the field. Sim explained in a pre-show interview, held in the new WFUV Clubhouse, that the band looks back on the residency they did at the Park Avenue Armory two years ago as a highlight of their career. On stage this evening, Croft alluded to playing "Performance" for the first time during that run and how the guys convinced her to sing it solo.
Fans of the xx know how quiet the trio can be and how much space they allow into their songs. Those features are not lost on stage. All three play with subtle dynamics, instinctively stripping away a sonic element before adding a new one and bringing songs to new places. The intimacy between vocalists Craft and Sim is deeply personal but engaging and inclusive. Their back-and-forth has a few precedents in pop, but when presented amid the full arsenal of Jamie xx’s electronics, a singular sound emerges.
Listen to the sold-out show below, and stay tuned for more concert broadcasts on FUV — from Forest Hills Stadium and beyond. Next up is Lake Street Dive at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival on June 7. Full schedule here.
Setlist
- Say Something Loving
- Crystalised
- Islands
- I Dare You
- Lips
- Sunset
- Replica
- Performance
- Infinity
- VCR
- Dangerous
- Fiction
- Shelter
- Loud Places
Encore: - On Hold
- Intro
- Angels
[Recorded: 5/19/17]
