The Midnight @ Mission Ballroom
The Midnight x New Constellations
05.06.26
New Constellations
I was introduced to New Constellations by my mother (shout out Moose Mom), who has been a cornerstone in the development of my music taste. If I’m ever over for dinner or getting a ride to the airport, “Hot Blooded,” the debut single from New Constellations, almost always makes a presence. Point being, if my mom likes it, it's definitely a good sign.
The live sound and performance are incredible; the band aims to create, as self-described, “a sonic dreamscape of eager melodies, striking guitar hooks, and celestial vocals…” and does just that, gently transporting the audience out of Denver, Colorado, to an otherworldly, soft and gentle, misty and ethereal landscape of sound and color (or at least what I would imagine floating through Neptune or Jupiter would feel like). Sonic melodies that feel invoke a sense of modernist nostalgia, yearning, and a sense of belonging, paired with gentle vocals that sway the audience like the gentle touch of a breeze meandering along an open field on a fall afternoon
I think there have only been and will ever be a few bands like New Constellations, the Portland-based duo of Harlee Case (vocals, bass, and keys) and Josh Smith (guitar and keys), who’ve been friends for 20 years and have been making music together for 9 of those. They have amassed over 4.2 million monthly Spotify streams (135 million streams alone on “Hot Blooded”) all before the release of their debut album, ‘It Comes In Waves’, coming out on May 15th of this year. The duo was incredibly grateful to be on stage at Mission Ballroom. Vocalist Harlee Case was even fighting back tears while sharing the backstory behind the band and how she had always dreamed of making music.
The Midnight
The Los Angeles band, The Midnight, is the epitome of synthwave, bringing music to Mission Ballroom that makes you feel as if you’re driving aimlessly yet contentedly through a brightly colored neon desert sky in some 1980s Pontiac (ideally an ‘82 Trans Am, but we can’t all be choosers). This atmosphere was reflected within the graphics behind the band, adding to waves of sound comprised of pulsing bass, airy synths, captivating sax, and sprinkly guitar solos.
One of the most captivating elements of the night was saxophonist Justin Klunk, who’d repeatedly make trips upstage and downstage, bringing the music even closer to the fans. At one point, even sauntering and serenading his way through the audience as he worked his way to Tim McEwan, The Midnight’s non-touring member, who was hiding inconspicuously in the back of the crowd, making for a great reveal, especially when later on Tim later joined the band on stage during their encore performance of “Sunset”.
