Kyle Guzman

TEMPLES MESMERIZE ELSEWHERE

Music Scene Media

Jun 12, 2023 • 5 min read

Temples have traversed the Atlantic for a tour across the United States to celebrate the release of their fourth full-length record, Exotico, released on April 14, 2023 via ATO Records.

On June 9, 2023, the psychedelic pop-rock outfit from Kettering, England returned to New York City with support from Post Animal for an intoxicating show at Elsewhere.

Temples return to New York City comes as the City emerges from a cloud of smoke and haze that has blanketed much of the Northeastern United States this past week, the result of large-scale wildfires burning across the Canadian border in Ottawa and Quebec. The post-apocalyptic scenes of the City are a stark contrast to the mystic and tropical utopia brought to life by Temples on Exotico and thus it only seems fitting that, as the smoke clears, Temples have arrived with the celestial Exotico to breathe new life into the City.

First to the stage were Post Animal, an American psychedelic rock band comprised of lead vocalist and bassist Dalton Allison, guitarist and keyboardist Jake Hirshland, guitarist Javi Reyes, guitarist Matt Williams, and drummer Wesley Toledo hailing from Chicago, Illinois. Post Animal joined Temples on this tour having released their third studio album, Love Gibberish, on May 13, 2022 via Shuga Records and a new single, “Aging Forest” on June 6, 2023. The band’s mellow, psychedelic sensibilities brought about an immersive atmosphere early on in the evening, with a setlist spanning each of their works that shifted energies between the tranquil and the disorderly. As expected, Post Animal’s live sound and musicianship was outstanding: three well-mixed guitars complemented by fat bass tones, crisp drumming, and vocal performances by nearly each member of the band blending together to submerge concertgoers in face-melting psychedelic rock.

Setlist:

Aging Forest
Alabaster
Caught in The Trap
Safe or Not
Infinite Zone
Caving In
Gelatin Mode

At 9pm, Temples took the stage to a roaring crowd at Elsewhere. The four-piece psychedelic rock band, consisting of vocalist and lead guitarist James Bagshaw, bassist and keyboardist Thomas Walmsely, guitarist and keyboardist Adam Smith, and drummer Rens Ottink, put on an enthralling performance. The band’s penchant for dark but danceable psychedelia took concertgoers on a mesmerizing 90-minute journey guided by shimmering synths, ghostly vocals, and fuzzy guitars. Temples long-awaited return to New York City featured a 15 song setlist, half of which were brand new tracks from their latest record, Exotico, including “Liquid Air”, “Afterlife”, and “Oval Stones'. The setlist for the evening also included cherished hits from the band’s previous records: “Keep in the Dark”, from their debut record Sun Structures, “Certainty” from their sophomore record Volcano, and “Hot Motion", from the band’s third record Hot Motion.

As the band performed concertgoers could be seen dancing, moshing, and wide-eyed, in awe of Temples' captivating musical arrangements and presentation. Before the band performed “Hot Motion", vocalist Edward Bagshaw called for a mosh pit, and the crowd did not disappoint. Indeed, a fan favorite, the crowd created a small circle pit as the galloping beat of the drums kicked off, but as the first verse ended and the chorus began, chaos ensued as the pit suddenly grew larger and began to swell from front to back and side to side. Following the performance, Bagshaw remarked “this is the best New York crowd we’ve ever played to” which was met with many cheers from the crowd. As the night nears its end, the band exit the stage after performing “Gamma Rays”, the lead single from Exotico, with a subtle head shake from bassist Thomas Walmsley indicating the night wasn’t over just yet. The band returned after a few short minutes to chants from the crowd demanding “one more song!” out of the four-piece. Temples performed two additional standout tracks from their debut record, Sun Structures: “Mesmerize” and “Shelter Song”, each complete with mind-bending extended jams to close the night.