The glimmer of something special surfaced in England 35 years ago. Two childhood friends united by their passion for music joined forces with three other bandmates to create some songs. Little did they know those songs would contribute to their future status as shoegaze pioneers; little did they know they’d become the Slowdive that still resonates so deeply with people today.

Longtime fans and new listeners alike packed Philadelphia’s Franklin Music Hall just last week in anticipation of the quintet’s return. The band’s prowess combined with the recent upswing in the genre’s popularity sparked a buzz among the room as music fans spanning generations came together to witness what would be an unforgettable night of shoegaze magic, some eager to dive into the live world of Slowdive again and some having waited to do so for the very first time.

Loving cheers erupted from attendees as the lights went out and everyone threw their admiration for Slowdive onto the stage. The band emerged from the depths of a deep blue drenched stage, its saturation combining with the five piece’s allure to create a concoction that pulled the crowd’s gaze in. Then, as if fueled by all of the love in the room, the music began and took us on a journey of galactic proportions.

A rising pulse entered our ears and traveled down into the crowd’s collective heart to meet its rhythm as it introduced us to “shanty,” the opening track from the band’s latest record, everything is alive. This marked the first stop on our expedition to planet Slowdive, a celestial landscape that opened up before our very eyes with a floating-through-space spectacle of a lightshow. Projected shapes and colors zig-zagged across the screen as they matched each musical throb. Out of them echoed vocalists Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead, each word they sang escaping into the room with enchanting ease. Everything truly was alive.

“Star Roving” from the band’s 2017 self-titled release followed with a whole new galaxy of shapes and colors as they showcased the experience we were in for — a night of stellar exploration, of tuning into something beautiful and far beyond this world. A sweet moment unfolded as Rachel stepped forward and participated in some stargazing of her own, looking out into the vastness of the crowd with a smile ear to ear and the glisten of everyone else’s painted across their faces to guide hers. It was this brilliantly juxtaposed intimacy and grandness that perfectly encapsulated Slowdive’s ability to make the smallest details immensely meaningful. 

And these details meant everything. With the band’s songs and shifting scenes that adorned the stage paired together, participating in the experience became transcendental. “Catch the Breeze” from 1991’s Just For A Day cloaked the room with calm until it picked up speed and pulled us into a warp tunnel of transfixing lights and booming chimes. “Souvlaki Space Station” from 1994’s Souvlaki hypnotized everyone with dizzying visual patterns as Rachel’s voice orbited the room. Guitarists Neil Halstead and Christian Savill, bassist Nick Chaplin, and drummer Simon Scott allowed their instruments to flow into one another, creating the elixir for an undeniable trance that drifted and swirled around swaying bodies. The bubbly glow of “chained to a cloud” accompanied yellow dots that danced across the screen as if we were transported up into the continuous glint of a sky sprinkled with stardust. It was as if the songs were living, breathing things and we were wrapped up inside them to feel each one’s unique breath.

As we made our way toward the end of our journey we were given the chance to witness a magnificent event: a meteor shower of hits in the form of “Sugar for the Pill,” “kisses,” “Alison,” “When the Sun Hits,” and “40 Days” all in a row. The fan favorites hurtled themselves into the room, each one burning up brighter and warmer in the excitement of the crowd’s atmosphere as they fell upon us. But our journey wasn’t quite over yet.

The band exited the stage while fans peered out into the dark waiting for one last flicker of excitement to jet across the stage. Like willing a shooting star to appear, everyone’s wish came true as Slowdive returned to dazzle with an encore, one final moment of mesmerizing sights and sounds to carry us home.

It’s been over three decades since the band’s formation and still they persist, an eternal entity that resonates with listeners in sound and spirit. They’re like a time capsule of an era that once was made fresh by a stunning array of showmanship and years upon years of dedication to honing a craft and creating unforgettable performances. They’re a lasting force like pointing to a constellation in the night sky, a cluster of shining stars to look up at and leave gazers wondering what made them lucky enough to live alongside something so remarkable.