Feature image by Dominic East
Other images and words by Casey Carlson
It’s nearly two minutes into the album before Charlie Hall finally slams in with the drums to kick off Harmonia’s Dream. In the minutes leading up to it, a synth pulses, gently emerging from the void, like the steady tick of a metronome that fades into a crowd’s excited clap. Adam Granduciel’s guitar fades in to match the beat, while Anthony LaMarca’s acoustic strumming begins to lay the groundwork. It’s a gradual, almost mathematical layering that culminates in all seven band members playing their own version of this dream, and from there, you’re strapped in for nearly eight minutes more of Harmonia’s cosmic, cylindrical atmosphere.
Likely as a statement of intent, Harmonia’s Dream is the perfect opener for Live Drugs Again, the second live album from established indie rockers The War on Drugs. It’s everything fans love about The War on Drugs distilled into one track—synth-soaked soundscapes, soaring guitars, and a driving energy that is a cornerstone in making the band’s live shows such an exhilarating experience. If this song clicks for you, the rest of the album is a ride you’ll gladly take. If not, well, buckle up anyway. You’ll like it by the end, I promise.
While Live Drugs Again brings us another 11 tracks from the band, it hardly overlaps tracks with 2020’s Live Drugs. Only Pain and their magnum opus Under the Pressure return for this round, showing both the band’s consistency as well as their evolution. The focus here is primarily on their most recent work, 2022’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore, but we also get cuts from 2014’s masterpiece Lost in the Dream and 2017’s incredible followup A Deeper Understanding, reminding us how well their catalog holds up while entering 10+ years after release. But even when familiar songs reappear, they’re not just replayed—they’re reimagined.
Take Burning for instance. Following Harmonia’s Dream, it somehow ups the energy even more, with Granduciel speeding through the lyrics, waking them up late for work yet still showing up on time. His delivery is looser, louder, and feral as the song progresses, erupting in a guttural “Woo!” before the final chorus. Compared to the breathier, more introspective studio version from Lost in the Dream, this live rendition feels electric, like the song was shocked to live by a defibrillator. It’s also a leap in energy from many of their previous live versions, where Granduciel’s vocals have often been softer and more restrained.
For newcomers to The Drugs, Granduciel’s voice was often considered the Achilles heel of the band’s sound. In contrast to the sweeping, massive sonic arrangements of their instruments, his vocals could sound nasally and quiet. But I Don’t Live Here Anymore marked a shift, with Granduciel embracing a grittier, more forceful tone, one that carries over into Live Drugs Again. His voice, now weathered and loud, brings new life to these songs, even if it can catch some longtime listeners off guard. Burning is perhaps the best example of this, but the rawness permeates much of the album, adding an extra layer of intensity to tracks that, in the studio, felt more polished. In Chains begins with a Purple-Rain-esque intro to the song before the keyboards and drums accelerate the sense of urgency, and pull you up with it, Granduciel’s voice sounding both more weathered and more focused here than any other song on the album.
Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, July 2023. Photos by Casey Carlson
There’s no question that a lot of thought went into how Live Drugs Again was pieced together. Thanks to the consistency and technology of click tracks and soundboard recordings, Granduciel, ever the perfectionist, had the ability to take the hundreds of live performances from each band member during their tours between 2021 and 2024 and assemble the tracks, instrument by instrument, moment by moment – to create the “best” version of each track on the album. While perhaps only Granduciel knows where each track was taken from, he has revealed some insight into the work that went into this. This album’s version of Under The Pressure, for example, was crafted together from tracks taken from six different nights.
For Granduciel, the “best” version might not mean it’s completely definitive, but rather, at times, the one that captured the moment best. Live Drugs Again is filled with both of these moments. This version of Harmonia’s Dream feels like the live standard now, a sprawling piece that does capture the feeling of running through a fleeting dream (for fun, relisten to the song and pick a new instrument to listen to each time) As does Come to the City, a choice cut from 2008’s Slave Ambient which washes the crowd with a wave of synths that eventually leads to a guitar solo that comes crashing down like a monsoon. Even when the album doesn’t quite reach the peaks of its predecessor, it still offers new interpretations of songs fans will grow to love. Under The Pressure, for instance, falls short of the intensity and climatic build up compared to the version on Live Drugs, but still holds its energy, Granduciel’s guitar tone sounding like a sword being unsheathed in comparison to the deeper tornado siren his guitar sounds like on Live Drugs.
The War on Drugs Perform at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, July 2023. Photos by Casey Carlson
Live Drugs Again feels as though there is more humanity to it than its predecessor, and that difference in the live performances are what make up a lot of the magic in this record. In the same way Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty album blended songs recorded in amphitheaters, buses, and hotel rooms that embodied life on the road in the Summer of 1977, Live Drugs Again captures a similar essence, stitching together both the grand moments, and the intimate. The crowd at the start of Come to the City swells into a stadium-sized roar, while the heckling and cheers at the opening of Slow Ghost feel as if the band was performing to a couple hundred at Johnny Brenda’s.
The intimacy is just as important on Live Drugs Again as the tracks with massive tonal waves. Living Proof, considered a sleeper track on I Don’t Live Here Anymore, is a key moment on this live record, becoming a balanced, hushed song that showcases the band’s restraint. A subtle, understated performance that allows the the song to emerge from it’s quiet strumming, to the quietly wild guitar solo, creating a contrast to the grander, more anthemic moments. Meanwhile, the addition of Eliza Hardy Jones to the lineup brings a refreshing vocal presence – Her harmonies shine on tracks like Come to the City and In Chains, adding warmth and depth to the band’s sound.
The album is bookended with I Dont Live Here Anymore, the crowd echoing the opening notes of the song before Granduciel yells “Put your hands together!” and introduces the band as if they’re a basketball team. Once each member has had their moment, he cranks his guitar up, and declares “Let’s bring it home!” diving into the song with renewed intensity.
It’s a fitting end to an album that highlights The War on Drugs at their most dynamic yet. With Live Drugs Again, Granduciel captures the living, breathing organism that is this band. Whether it’s the grand swells of stadiums or the intimate undersells, this is The War on Drugs in their element.
As always, while the live album is great, this band is best experienced live. Catch remaining dates on their tour with The National and Lucius here:
Tue, SEP 24 – United Center, Chicago, IL
Wed, SEP 25 – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, Sterling Heights, MI
Thu, SEP 26 – Breese Stevens Field, Madison, WI
Sat, SEP 28 – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Greenwood Village, CO
Sun, SEP 29 – Granary Live, Salt Lake City, UT
Tue, OCT 1 – Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Wed, OCT 2 – Rogers Arena, Vancouver, Canada
Thu, OCT 3 – Moda Center, Portland, OR
Sat, OCT 5 – The Meritage Resort And Spa, Napa, CA
Sun, OCT 6 – The Greek Theatre Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Mon, OCT 7 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
Thu, OCT 10 – Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
Sat, OCT 12 – Live Out Monterrey 2024, Monterrey, Mexico
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