Declan McKenna | Athens, GA
On October 2nd, Declan McKenna brought The Big Return Tour to Athens, Georgia, selling out the 1000 capacity Georgia Theatre. The Big Return Tour features about 50 dates in 50 different cities across the United States, spread apart in 3 legs over the course of May through November.
Appearing on stage around 9:00 PM, Declan kicked the show off with “Humongous”, which is the first song off his debut album What Do You Think About the Car? released in July of 2017. Though one of the slower songs off his two records, the crowd felt the meaningful lyrics and euphonic vocals as tears were seen on the faces of many. The crescendo of the songs had the audience stirring, especially once the end hit and the beginning of “Isombard” began. Throughout the night, Declan McKenna, Isabel Torres (guitar), Henry Pearce (keyboards), Ben Limmer (Drums), and Linus Fenton (bass) brought the energy and the sold out crowd responded with just as much. The band could barely be heard over the voices of hundreds of fans singing the songs themselves.
For his encore, Declan McKenna covered George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass”. McKenna’s voice and the instrumentals of his crew made the song absolutely and utterly remarkable. The crowd stood back in awe for the four minutes it took for the band to play the song, marvelous faces adorned on each fan. When “British Bomb” started to play, the last song for the night, fans immediately came back to their senses and cheered, dancing as the intro filled the venue. Declan McKenna’s positively eccentric and indie-esque sound had every person in the Georgia Theatre in a great mood, smiling even as they walked out of the space. With it being the last leg of The Big Return Tour, one would not want to miss the opportunity to see such a show.
