Florence and the Machine delivers powerful concert

It’s a real testament to a musical artist if the live performance lives up to the studio album. It’s an even greater mark of genius when the live performance surpasses those recordings. And that’s what happened at Florence and the Machine’s concert Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl.

The evening started out with an expertly chosen opening act, The Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger. Made up of lead singer Sean Lennon and guitarist Charlotte Kemp Muhl, the music duo performed their hits, “Animals” and “Moth to a Flame” with a psychedelic-rock flair that mirrored that of Tame Impala. The most poignant moment of their set, however, was when Lennon thanked the audience, as he had been waiting his whole life to play at this specific venue. Lennon, the only child of musicians Yoko Ono and John Lennon, played on the same stage his father did more than 50 years ago with The Beatles.

But when lead singer Florence Welch ran barefoot onto the stage, the intensity of the crowd electrified. As she started to belt out the lyrics to “What The Water Gave Me,” the backdrop, a mosaic of metallic, disco-like tiles, fluttered to the beat. Welch set the tone for the night with her boisterous energy, twirling  endlessly on stage to “And oh, poor Atlas / The world’s a beast of a burden / You’ve been holding up for a long time.” The set design also featured industrial lights, which was reminiscent of the famed Los Angeles County Museum of Art piece.

After a thrilling opening from  Ceremonials, Welch spotlighted her newest album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, with “Ship to Wreck,” during which she gave an introduction to her second night at the Hollywood Bowl. This began her immersive interaction with the audience, such as before “Shake it Out” when Welch explained she originally wanted a gospel choir for accompaniment but decided to employ the vocals of the audience instead. As the audience chanted, “Shake it out, shake it out / Ooh whoa,” Welch collected more energy. She continued to connect with her fans by racing to the middle of the crowd, approximately 15 or 16 rows up, crooning “This is a gift, it comes with a price / Who is the lamb and who is the knife? / Midas is king and he holds me so tight / And turns me to gold in the sunlight,” from “Rabbit Heart.” As the night went on, Welch continued to check in  with the  audience throughout the venue, making it clear how much she cared for each of the almost 18,000 attendees.

Welch also provided personal stories to some of her most beloved songs. She emphasized the significance of the setting as the beginnings of her latest album sprung from a previous performance at the amphitheater, where she also ran into the crowd, way up in the trees. Welch said she saw a crucifix and the Hollywood sign in the distance, and in that moment she was “falling in love with everyone I met.” As she said, “I want to give it back to you; it’s yours,” it cued “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.” “Cosmic Love” came with a more humorous backstory — Welch was nursing a hangover that spurred one of the first songs she ever wrote.

Obviously, the core of Welch’s magnetism lies in her vocal ability. “You’ve Got the Love,” a cover of the original song by The Source and Candi Station, featured skilled runs and trills. Welch also gave a soulful rendition of “Sweet Nothing,” originally an electronic soundtrack produced by DJ Calvin Harris, which was accompanied by simple instruments and stripped of the electronic frivolousness. Of course, “Dog Days Are Over,” the song that put the band on everyone’s radar, not only highlighted Welch’s sound to carry across the arena, but also her voice control. Right before the renowned chorus, Welch held the audience in suspense, before launching into “Run fast for your mother, fast for your father / Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers,” heightening the overall spirit. This carried on into the encore performances, especially “What Kind of Man,” in which the entire audience started jumping around to the beat of the music.

With that, Welch ran off the stage, still barefoot and spritely. The only complaint was that Welch didn’t perform more songs, including “Seven Devils,” “Over the Love” or “Never Let Me Go.”  However, it was evident that each song had meaning tailored to the people Welch loves the most — her fans.