California indie rock quintet Young the Giant will be wrapping up their expansive North American summer tour, which started in late May, with a third-to-last gig at San Diego State University’s Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Amphitheater on Sunday.
As an added treat, German electro-pop duo Milky Chance, which doesn’t often tour the States, joins the lineup.
The band — comprised of Sameer Gadhia (vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Francois Comtois (drums) and Payam Doostzadeh (bass) — is touring on their latest album, American Bollywood. An adventurous departure for the group, the album was co-produced by John Hill (Khalid, Phantogram) and tells the multi-generational story of American immigrants via Gadhia‘s Indian heritage.
The 16-song album, originally released as four separate EPs, is divided into four acts, each reflecting a moment in Gadhia’s lineage: his “grandparents in the old world (‘Origins’), his parents finding themselves strangers in a new world (‘Exile’), his fight to maintain his culture while also trying to fit in (‘Battle’) and finally, reconciliation and transcendence for future generations (‘Denouement’).”
But, as Gadhia shares, this isn’t his narrative alone. “This is not just the story of an Indian American caught in between two worlds; it’s also our universal search to find meaning in chaos.”
Matching the thematic, Eastern sounds permeate American Bollywood, the band’s fifth album — from the rhythmic drums of the title track and swirling sitar on “Dancing in the Rain” to the ethereal vocals and tablas on “Insomnia” and hypnotic harmonium in “Guardian Angel.”
Irvine-based Young the Giant originally formed in 2004 as The Jakes while band members were still in high school. Five years later, with a different lineup and new name, the band was opening for Kings of Leon and starting to show up on festival stages.
Their eponymously titled debut LP, released in 2010, immediately put Young the Giant on the map, yielding a pair of top-five hits in “My Body” and “Cough Syrup.” From 2014 to 2018, the band released three albums — Mind Over Matter, Home of the Strange and Mirror Master – yielding numerous alt-rock hits, including “It’s About Time,” “Something To Believe In” and “Superposition.”
The high-energy group has since become a staple at music festivals, with appearances at Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, and last year’s Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival in San Diego, where they delivered a spirited set and talked about recently becoming fathers.
The American Bollywood tour is said to be a visual experience, utilizing video screens to help communicate the storyline and make concertgoers feel like they are watching a play. To create a seamless setlist, the band has found natural homes for older catalog songs within the four-act structure.
Tickets to Young the Giant with Milky Chance, and special guests TALK and Rosa Linn, can be purchased here. Additionally, fans can purchase VIP packages that include premium tickets, early venue entry and merch shopping, a private pre-show performance and Q&A with Young the Giant, and exclusive band-signed poster.
Donovan Roche has covered the world of music and entertainment for more than 30 years.