Good Neighbours teleported back to New York City this past Friday, crossing an ocean and a year’s worth of anticipation for a headlining set that felt less like a concert and more like a monument. In 2024, they conquered the Bowery Ballroom; earlier this year, they lent their shimmer to Foster The People‘s stage at the Brooklyn Paramount. But at Irving Plaza, under the glow of blue house lights and balcony shadows, the duo commanded a room that was entirely their own. Every square foot swayed with devotion – a crowd that sang, screamed, and swayed as if caught in the orbit of something sacred.

As a European band, Good Neighbours is a rare gift on North American soil, but this tour carries a pulsing heartbeat, an intentional one. No longer just the two familiar silhouettes, Oli Fox and Scott Verrill arrived with a full band, and the songs roared with a new life. Alone, they’ve always been magnetic; together, they felt seismic. When the clock struck nine, the audience was already braced at the barricade, knuckles white, voices prepared to be heard.

The night began with “Suburbs,” a song that, for a few minutes, dissolved Manhattan’s noise. Suddenly, it felt as if we’d all been carried back to the small towns that shaped them, places where dreaming of a stage like this once felt impossible. The irony was beauty: in a packed city, they built something intimate enough to feel like a secret. Oli Fox, ever the spark in human form, was a storm of movement – slamming a drumstick to a single tom, spinning, shouting, losing himself in the rhythm. The setup was stripped and simple, which only emphasized his boundless vivacity. Nothing about the stage felt ornamental; the spectacle came from the pure luminance of presence.

Every song held its own gravity, but what made the night shimmer was the way Fox dissolved the barrier between stage and floor. He reached for hands, twirled with fans, sang eye-to-eye with the front row. These were moments that couldn’t be rehearsed; they were lived. You could feel that this show wasn’t just a milestone for the audience finally witnessing a full-scale headline return, but for the band itself – standing in a larger room than before, yet still carrying the same sincerity that made their earliest sets unforgettable. Scott Verrill, grounded behind guitar and keys, was no less spirited, his movements small but deeply felt, like punctuation marks between Fox’s fireworks. It’s their synergy that underscores the dynamics of it all.

When “Home” emerged near the end, the song’s refrain – finding belonging in others – rippled through the crowd. Strangers became lifelines leaning into one another, arms linked, singing as if the words themselves could build shelter. The final chorus soared, and as the music fell away, the band stepped forward to bow. But fox wasn’t done. He stayed, starry eyed, and asked for one more chorus. The room answered like a choir. For those minutes, Irving Plaza transformed into exactly what the song promises: a place that felt like home.

They returned for “Daisies,” a final bloom of light and release, a collective plea for them to come back sooner than another year. As the last note faded, the air felt lighter, as if we’d all shed something invisible. Good Neighbours isn’t performing for applause; they’re revealing the ache and joy that built them. This is a band stepping into their golden hour, and the glow is contagious. If you ever have the chance to see them, take it. It’s not just a concert. It’s a reminder to exhale, to move without hesitation, to simply be.

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