I was honored to receive a press pass to Two Door Cinema Club’s sold-out show at the Black Cat. I’ve been a fan of the alt/indie-rock band from Northern Ireland since middle school so I was planning for a wonderfully nostalgic show, but the night turned out to be even more exciting thanks to Bayonne, the opening act. Two Door Cinema Club played pristine live versions of songs from their two albums and debuted a new song from their unreleased album, but for me personally, Bayonne’s entrancing act stole the show.
Bayonne is the stage name of Roger Sellers, who performs solo with a looping station, a board of pedals, and half of a drum kit, which he plays standing up. I adore the beautifully accurate description of Bayonne’s music on his bandcamp page, where he writes, “The artistic style of Roger Sellers is widely accessible. Imagine folk-dance-americana-electric-symphonic fusion, where Philip Glass, Sufjan Stevens, and Joanna Newson all groove to late night ambient house music in George Martin’s living room.” Bayonne is not only an excellent musician but also a captivating performer, which is no small feat as a solo-artist playing a sold-out venue in DC. The video below is a clip of Bayonne, which displays his gripping performance at the Black Cat. For more Bayonne, check out his bio and music videos here.
Before leaving the stage, Sellers invited audience members to say hello to him at the merch booth, and I didn’t hesitate to take him up on that offer. In addition to being an impressive musician and performer, Sellers is also a super personable guy, and we chatted for a moment about his equipment and inspirations.
Yes, Bayonne stole the show in my mind, but I truly enjoyed Two Door’s performance and the Black Cat venue itself. The audience danced and sang along to the vast majority of Two Door Cinema Club’s songs, which you can see in the clip below of one of their most popular songs, “Undercover Martyn.”
The Irish trio also made an announcement that their third studio album was finished a month ago and will be released sometime later this year! The clip below is an exclusive live-preview of an unreleased song from their upcoming album. Keep an eye out for Two Door Cinema Club’s new album!
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