Bombay Bicycle Club @ Union Transfer.

Text by Brianna Spause. Images by Mina Lee.

Charming old America has the British boys of Bombay Bicycle Club in its grip.

“I don’t even want to go home,” lead singer Jack Steadman said, looking awful cozy sitting cross-legged in the back of the band’s tour bus. “It’s been a really good tour.”

October was it for the band’s short North American tour where the set out to promote their newest album, So Long, See You Tomorrow, from coast to coast in just 24 days. Back again at Union Transfer after a recent visit in May, Bombay Bicycle Club packed the venue on Tuesday night.

Things got started with New Orleans band Luxley. Lead singer Ryan Grey’s enthusiasm greatly outweighed that of the meager crowd as he danced his way through a short set of four songs. Luxley made it through pieces like “Spirit” and “Elegance” from their upcoming EP, before Grey completely disappeared into the audience for the last song.

Milo Greene performed next, stirring up the disinterested crowd almost immediately. The cinematic pop project from Los Angeles has been tour with Bombay during the entire run.

The band’s five lead singers stood in a straight line at the front of the stage, while Marlana Sheetz delivered a chilling rendition of “1957” as well as a few tracks off their upcoming album, Control, that will debut in January 2015.

As Milo Greene exited, the crowd that had doubled in size grew restless. Chants for Bombay cried out sporadically around the venue. Cheers erupted as the lightshow began. Five circular screens that overlapped slightly made up the backdrop that would provide a hypnotizing compliment to the energetic Indie Rock.

A warm orange light rose slowly, painting the faces of the eager front row in sunlight as Bombay Bicycle Club entered the stage and jumped directly into a rendition of “Overdone.” A perfectly synchronized kaleidoscope of human silhouettes turned in the background as front man Jack Steadman serenaded the crowd with their newest album in its entirety.

“We’re conscious that we’re coming back to play the same venue four months on, so we wanted to change things up a bit,” guitarist, Jamie MacColl said. “It’s going to get a little funky.”

The band then dove into a cover of Robyn’s “With Every Heartbeat.”

Steadman’s soulful lyrics and British accent strung up the audience like puppets, pulling their strings to create a sea of dancing fools. A genuine and passionate smile remained plastered across his face as he held out the microphone to the audience during “Home by Now.” The room filled with a repeated chorus, “If you wanna try, You can come out and see me, I could be home by now.”