REVIEW: The Neighbourhood blends the old and the new at 9:30 club

Jesse Rutherford of The Neighbourhood, performs at the 9:30 Club on September 28.

After L.A. rock band Bad Suns left the 9:30 Club stage, the crowd was visibly excited for California-based alternative-rock group The Neighbourhood. The band was poised to come on last Monday for the first of a two-night residency at the D.C. venue.

Nearly a year after their last release, #000000 & #FFFFFF, the group is back at it again with August-released single “R.I.P. 2 My Youth” and touring in anticipation of the release of their second album Wiped Out, due out Oct. 30.

Taking to the stage shortly after 9:20, the band played a set that was one-third I Love You., Wiped Out and songs from other minor releases. They played five songs off the new album, including the lead single. It was an interesting collection of music, with singer Jesse Rutherford leading the crowd through the group’s angsty performance.

The songs performed off I Love You. had an atmospheric and moody feel, while the newer Wiped Out songs retained much of the same vibe. These new songs maintained their old sound while giving it a newer, more upbeat tone. The music as a whole kept with the melancholy sound that The Neighbourhood embodies.

One change of pace came with a medley of songs from their DJ Drama-hosted Gangsta Grillz mixtape, #000000 & #FFFFFF. Performing the songs Lurk, Jealou$y, Dangerous, When I Get Back, #icanteven and U&I back to back, Rutherford took the crowd in on a dark segue into their encore, filled with driving trap beats and rap interspersed with Rutherford’s singing.

The crowd ate up Rutherford’s performance, with his seamless blending of a Kurt-Cobain-Aesthetic and the new image of the American rockstar giving him an apathetic cool-guy appearance. The rest of the band provided a stable platform for Rutherford to project his image.

The Neighbourhood closed with a two-song encore, coming back to the stage after the mixtape medley. They finished the already solid performance with a final burst, ending with hits “Sweater Weathersc” and “R.I.P. 2 My Youth.”