On June 11, “Human Musical Group Sensations,” Glass Animals, took Richmond, VA on a cosmic adventure through space as they brought their Glass Animals TOUR OF EARTH 2025 tour to Richmond’s newest venue, Allianz Amphitheater. Fans, adorned in their best otherworldly and pineapple themed attire, packed the Riverfront venue, which opened only last week, for what would be the venue’s first ever sold out show. The band has been touring in promotion of their album I Love You So F***ing Much, released July 19, 2024, since August of 2024. The second North American leg of their tour will see stops in cities that were missed the first time around. The tour will see support from artists Sofia Isella and Orla Gartland, as well as other special guests that have yet to be announced. On this evening, the band was joined by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Yves Jarvis.

Canadian experimental musician Jean-Sebastien Yves Audet, known by his stage name Yves Jarvis, took the stage first, showcasing his precise and expressive guitar work and delivering an impressive set of genre-bending music to eager fans who packed the amphitheater early. Jarvis, who previously made music under the names Un Blonde and Faux Fur, released his sixth album, All Cylinders, in February. Backed by a drummer, bassist, and keyboardist, Jarvis delivered a setlist consisting of songs from his new release, as well as tracks from earlier in his discography.

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As daylight faded, the crowd buzzed with anticipation, eager for Glass Animals to take the stage. A large “I Love You So F***ing Much” banner was prominently displayed on stage, adding an element of mystery by keeping their intricate set design hidden until the band chose to reveal it. Being that the pineapple has become a recurring theme within the bands’ songs, performances, and artwork, it was no surprise that the crowd went absolutely wild when a pineapple was placed upon a meteoroid on the stage, glowing under a spotlight as the sun set and the stage lights dimmed. At 9:00PM, the banner fell, and the stage had been transformed into the interior of a spaceship, complete with control panels, televisions, a giant LED screen depicting space themed visuals, and a large glass “globe” which contained holographic images often related to to the visuals seen on the screen. The audience was transported to space as the band launched into “Life Itself,” a fan favorite from their album How to Be a Human Being. Frontman Dave Bayley came out swinging, giving his all from the start with energy that never wavered. While the setlist for the first leg of their North American tour included nearly every track from their newest album, I Love You So F***ing Much, the setlist to date for the 2025 tour has included more of a balance of songs from across their entire discography while still including a fair number of tracks from the new album. Fans were treated to favorites like “Your Love (Déjà Vu),” “Wonderful Nothing,” “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” and “Gooey.” Bayley had a very playful stage presence and frequently interacted with fans in the crowd, noting familiar faces from their last visit to Richmond. He joined the crowd on the lawn for “Youth,” during which he climbed to the top of a rock to perform. He donned both a cowboy hat and bucket hat borrowed from fans during their performance of “Creatures in Heaven.” On this evening, the band seemed especially moved by the crowd, thanking fans for their biggest turnout to date in the city, and with Bayley appearing visibly emotional more than once throughout the night. A fan gifted Bayley a handmade jersey before the crowd collectively sang “Happy Birthday” to the frontman, being that the show as only a few days after his birthday. Bayley joked that he had just turned 96 and has very good moisturizer before continuing the set with “How I Learned to Love the Bomb.” As the set reached its final song, “Pork Soda,” the energy from both the band and the crowd surged to a new level. Before launching into the track, Bayley gifted the spotlighted pineapple, which had been a fixture on stage all night, to a young boy celebrating his 10th birthday, sending the crowd into a frenzy as they closed their set with the beloved song. The crowd cheered, chanted, and pounded on chairs to summon the band for an encore performance. The band returned to the stage for an encore of “Tokyo Drifting” and “Heat Waves” which also saw a heightened level of excitement from the crowd given that it was a “late night in the middle of June.” The words “Thank You So F***ing Much” flashed across the screen as Glass Animals took a bow and exited the stage. Glass Animals delivered a performance that was truly out of this world, combining their genre-blurring sound with stunning production that turned the night into a fully immersive, intergalactic experience. The band puts on a must-see performance. Catch Glass Animals on tour through mid August. Tickets can be purchased here.

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