La Dispute Delivers Raucous Performance for Last Show of the Year at LA’s Belasco Theater

2019-12-16

GBuban_La Dispute Band 4 — La Dispute performing at the Belasco Theater on 12/13/2019. Photo Credit: © Gina Buban

Los Angeles, CA – Body surfing was the activity of the evening in downtown Los Angeles this past Friday the 13^th, as post-hardcore group La Dispute closed their 2019 tour at the Belasco Theater. The Grand Rapids, MI band was joined on this tour by Empath and Touché Amoré.

Empath, the quartet from west Philadelphia, showcased the unique sound of lead singer and guitarist Catherine Elicson, Garrett Koloski on drums, Emily Shanahan on keyboard, and Randall Coon on synthesizers. The group, who are known for seamlessly blending experimental noise, pop, punk and even birdsong, released their first studio album release, Active Listening: Night on Earth, this year.

Empath got the near capacity crowd ready to go for the next act, Touché Amoré, and when they hit the stage the moshing and body surfing began immediately. A local band from Los Angeles, the post hardcore band includes vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their debut album, To the Beat of a Dead Horse, Touché Amoré re-recorded the album under the name of Dead Horse X and released it this year. Much to the delight of the still moshing fans, the band announced during their final song that there were going to start recording a new album.

For the last show of their tour, La Dispute took the stage and kicked off their set with a song from their most recent album Panorama, “View from Our Bedroom Window”. As the post-hardcore group was welcomed warmly by the ever moshing and surfing crowd at the Belasco, they moved directly into their second song from album Wildlife titled “The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit”. Next up was “Footsteps at the Pond,” also from Panorama. The band continued to blister through their 14-song set, ending with an encore and the song “King Park”.

The crowd at the Belasco Theater enjoying the show on 12/13/2019. Photo Credit: © Gina Buban

La Dispute Set List:

View From Our Bedroom Window
The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit
Footsteps at the Pond
HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956
Fulton Street II
How I Feel (with Jeremy Bolm)
Why It Scares Me (with Jeremy Bolm)
Rhodonite and Grief
Anxiety Panorama
For Mayor in Splitsville
All Our Bruised Bodies and the Whole Heart Shrinks
There You Are (Hiding Place)

Encore:

The Last Lost Continent
King Park

La Dispute, originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan is comprised of Jordan Dreyer, drummer Brad Vander Lugt, guitarist Chad Morgan-Sterenberg, guitarist Corey Stroffolino and bassist Adam Vass. Their most recent album released this year, Panorama, and is the group’s fourth studio album.