As I was leaving Glass Beams' July 28th Monday night show, I tried to reflect on exactly what it was that I had just experienced, but I found that while I had remembered everything that happened on stage in vivid detail, I had a hard time separating any moment of the concert from any other moment. It was almost as if the entire concert had been a singularity of experience that consisted of complex guitar loops, hymn-like vocals, and a completely gripping ‘Daft Punk’ style stage presence. It was a strange realization, but I think it revealed the superpower of this band: Glass Beams exceeds at putting their audience in a trance. Beaded masks hide the faces and expressions of its members, making the audience have to search their glinting veils for a hint as to what happens next.

Maiah Manser opened the show with a stunning combination of electronic and choral flair that was indicative of a well crafted and distinct stylistic vision. Her high wire vocal runs were at times reminiscent of Caroline Polachek’s 2019 ‘Pang’, while at other times she reached deep into Cher-like husky tones. Closing with her most popular song ‘With A Smile’, Manser created an ethereal vibe that Glass Beams easily tapped into and pushed further, opening their set with the pensive and short ‘Horizon’, the intro track on their newest EP ‘Mahal’ (2024). The shimmering guitar parts of Horizon had the distinct slides and bends of acoustic Indian music, with elements of psychedelia that initiated the strong trance-like effect of Glass Beams. As the group's members walked on stage, the title track of their album began to slowly build, until it finally exploded into the instrumental wall of sound that was as calming as it was transfixing. 

Glass Beams is a band that demands your attention, and the experience is well worth our focus. Their latest EP gave a clear indication of what the group is capable of, and the heights that they are able to reach and maintain. Their night at First Ave demonstrated to me that their brilliance goes beyond just music. The artistic vision present in the songs that they play is an extension of a deeper vision that has pushed them to make a bejeweled, enchanting spectacle out of their very presence. The meditative trance fusion that Glass Beams brings to the table is sure to secure them a spot in a music landscape that isn’t always able (or willing) to appreciate and reward non-Western musical styles. Glass Beams gets around this by offering a sonic mix that's too entrancing to turn off, and a performance that’s too interesting to look away from.

Show Review: George Faseemo