La Dispute Heat Up The Metro On Headlining Tour

By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 6, 2014 6:30PM

Photo: Katie Karpowicz

If there is one word to describe Grands Rapids, Mich., outfit La Dispute's sold-out show at the Metro Saturday night, it's definitely "hot." When this writer arrived just an hour and a half after door time, the air inside the venue felt more like that of a an early-August sweatfeast—as opposed to a chilly April evening, which it actually was.

Photo: Katie Karpowicz

Of course, the room temperature continued to climb once La Dispute took the stage and ripped through a 90-minute set.

While even a simple projection screen seemed a little over-the-top for a band whose live show usually depends solely on raw energy, La Dispute's use of dim standup stage lights—instead of the more intense Metro house lights—and nature scenes projected on the backdrop made the high ceilings of the Lakeview venue feel a little more intimate.

In our interview earlier this week, La Dispute's vocalist Jordan Dreyer revealed that his favorite songs to play off the band's new album, March's Rooms of the House, were the two softer "Woman…" tracks. Truly, they were a soothing change of pace from the otherwise rapid tempos and bellowing vocals.

Of course the crowd's cheers were loudest for older songs like "Andria" and, the encore, "King Park."

Photo: Katie Karpowicz

Every time La Dispute plays live, they show just how lyrical the songs are, and how layered each melody is. Even after having listened to each album dozens and dozens of times, it's still tough to memorize each element. So it's continually impressive when the band makes it through a lengthy set without missing a single, punctuated beat.