“Back To The Beautiful Letdown” - Switchfoot, live at Electric Brixton, London (November 2024)
/Switchfoot celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Beautiful Letdown—their magnum opus and the album that launched them into mainstream success—with a poignant, peppy, and packed performance at Electric Brixton to the London faithful.
For a long-time fan like me, hearing this foundational album of my fandom played in full was a journey through nostalgia and timeless anthems, proving that these songs remain more than just okay two decades later.
The American power-pop rockers performed all the hits and deep cuts from their breakout success in a sold-out show to savour at this stage of their career. Lead singer Jon Foreman—the ageless surfer-bro Bono—seemed to spend half his time in the crowd as he did on stage, spreading his spirit of love and connection to all corners of his cathedral.
The elder of the two Foreman brothers described songs as “scaffolding for the soul to get to places where words can’t reach”, constructing a night of memories that moved through the years and bridged past selves.
Brothers Tim and Jon Foreman of Switchfoot on stage at Electric Brixton in London
While I had been fortunate to witness the likes of ‘Meant To Live’ and ‘Dare You To Move’ once before at Electric Ballroom Camden during the summer of 2019, to experience the entire suite of Letdowns in one sitting was like stepping into a time machine back to my teenage years and pressing play.
Those times are gone though; like yesterday is gone, like history is gone. But the memories remain like a wrinkle in your forehead and reactivate whenever I’m ‘Adding To The Noise’.
Switchfoot - 'Meant To Live' (Live At Electric Brixton, London)
Switchfoot - 'Gone' (Live At Electric Brixton, London)
Life was not what I thought it was twenty-four hours ago, let alone twenty years ago when I first became a fan of the Foot. But who I want to be is standing stage-side singing along to those sonic structures.
After two decades, maybe redemption still has some stories to tell.
Jon Foreman and Jerome Fontamillas of Switchfoot on stage at Electric Brixton in London
Writer Kurt Duvel revisits the anthems of his youth as Switchfoot celebrates 20 years of The Beautiful Letdown album with a sold-out show at Electric Brixton in London, featuring the full suite of hits and deep-cuts from their breakout success two decades ago.