I bought my ticket to Neon Indian at The Casbah months ago, when I was still freezing in Kansas City, and when I only had plans to be visiting San Diego for one bittersweet, ephemeral week, figuring the show would sell out. Well sell out, it did, and as for me staying in Kansas City, I did not! 

Walking into The Casbah last Wednesday, forty-eight hours after I had officially moved back to San Diego, I fell into Neon Indian playing a dreamy, psychedelic set. It was drenched in a gauzy hum, backed by a subdued, but steady undercurrent of pulsating sound and a guitarist who wore a giant Care Bear T-shirt.

It was one of those nights where you find yourself shoulder to shoulder with a sweaty stranger, protecting your spot with planted feet that are splashed with some other dude’s beer. Despite the lack of space, the crowd as well as myself, gave in and danced as much as possible, while others made shadow puppets with their hands, taking advantage of the light from the trippy, neon projections that lit up the stage. The band, composed of a guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer, was solid and maintained their “chillwave” sound that so compliments the curly haired, affable, baby-faced frontman, Alan Palomo.

Watching Neon Indian, and standing amongst the crowd crammed next to old friends and new faces alike, with the dingy carpet of The Casbah stage in front of me, and the knowledge that outside on the patio, the tiny, worn statue of the jockey still held his stance and position that guards the ripped up bench where I have sat so many times before, reminded me of what I had left, and what I was now coming home to: a rich community of music, and creative people within it, who whether they pass through or stay--love, foster and feed it. Highlights of the set were Should Have Taken Acid With You and Deadbeat Summer. It’s good to be home, and I have a feeling it’s not going to be a deadbeat summer, more like a neon summer.

Click to hear Neon Indian.

All photos by Charles Bergquist. See more here.