Sleigh Bells Rock And Rattle The Walls Of The Royale

Tessa Roy ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Noise-pop band Sleigh Bells brought their “Bitter Rivals” tour to the Royale Boston this weekend, performing for a large and enthusiastic crowd. And let me tell you: it was LOUD.

I’ve been a Sleigh Bells fan since they emerged in 2010, so I am familiar with their earth-shattering sound laced with Derek Miller’s distorted guitar and Alexis Krauss’s feathery vocals. However, my eardrums were not prepared to experience the duo live. Krauss and Miller were beyond full volume. The floor and speakers shook as they busted out their hits “Crown on the Ground,” “True Shred Guitar,” “Bitter Rivals,” and more. As a result, plenty of jumping, headbanging, and general rocking out ensued in the audience.

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The loudness certainly was a factor, but the biggest reason Sleigh Bells was able to thrill their audience was the energy they put into the performance. Miller, along with a second guitar player and a drummer, never sat still as the group hammered away at their instruments. Krauss was equally active as she jumped and danced her way through each song, and even successfully stage dove at the end of the show.

Just as some of Boston may have been surprised by the massive sound Sleigh Bells brought to Royale, the band was overwhelmed by the amount of excitement and support with which they were met. “We are feeling (expletive) AWESOME up here tonight!” Krauss said, beaming to the roaring crowd. This brief moment of mutual audience-performer love was a highlight of the night. It showed Sleigh Bells was not just on a stage to promote their music and make money, but rather because they love putting on an amazing live show for their fans.

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Credit also must be given to Doldrums, who opened the show. It’s hard to live up to the energy of Sleigh Bells, but the three band members provided some interesting electro-pop beats that were well received by the audience. At the end of the night, Krauss mentioned Doldrums had done all of their own tour managing in order to be the openers, and thanked them for their hard work.

As the name of their tour indicates, Sleigh Bells’ newest album is entitled “Bitter Rivals” and was released in October of this year. The tour ends November 23rd in New York.