May 13 was a rainy day in New Haven; from the early morning to late evening, the city was damp with intervals of heavy downfall.

On College Street, this weather did not faze anyone. Walking towards the venue before doors opening at 7 p.m. triggered memories from 2015 when I saw The 1975 not far from this venue: 16 to 21 year olds formed a long line outside, squabbling over who had arrived first and deserved to be closer to the stage.

LANY, pronounced “lay-nee”, are an electro-pop three piece from Los Angeles, Cali. After a string of successes including eight singles and four EPs, LANY is on a headlining tour and releasing their first self-titled album. Their stop in New Haven was one of 19 shows on the United States leg of the tour covering the country from coast to coast.

In that moment, the parallels between the past and present were obvious, and as girls flashed the sharpie-inked numbers on their hands that marked their place in line (“I was here at 10 a.m.!”), I mentally prepared myself for a night of dreamy teenage magic.

College Street Music Hall is a small venue with a maximum capacity of 2000 people. The space was quickly flooded as doors opened, buzzing with steadily building energy. The band was preceded by Goody Grace, Canadian alt-pop singer (see: Gnash and Khalid). His sound complemented LANY’s, and even though the audience didn’t know his lyrics, they were exceptionally attentive for an opening act.

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Goody Grace opens for LANY.

LANY’s set started with like you lots, a song that captures their youthful appeal (for more insight on their sound, click here). Throughout the set, Paul Jason Klein (lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboard player) effortlessly worked the crowd, brooding behind a keyboard and stepping away to emote his lyrics with fluid motions.

There’s a certain kind of magic at a LANY show that Klein sums up perfectly: “Most of the time, everyone is singing every word to every song,” Klein said, “There’s this crazy energy between the crowd and the band. I would hope that people leave changed after they see us.”

The minimalist aesthetic appeal of The 1975 paired with LANY’s seemingly hopeful songs will continue to bring in crowds with their debut album LANY available on June 30. Their presence online and onstage is exceptional and not to be missed.

LANY will be returning to the region in October for two shows at Irving Plaza.

Buy tickets to see LANY on tour.
Pre-order LANY on iTunes
Listen to LANY on Spotify, Apple Music.