Taylor Lobb
@TAYLORLOBB
Light beams danced on the crowd, illuminating their faces one by one with hues of blue, yellow and purple that seemed to perfectly pair with the expression of contentment on each one of their faces.
The source of the lights, a massive iridescent stage, was the crowd’s main focus.
I was stunned to see such a colossal gathering, a comparable difference from when I had first arrived at the Greek Theatre on this brisk October Saturday night, only but an hour before.
The venue was desolate then, as I followed eagerly behind my boyfriend, with his hand holding mine, guiding us into the small crowd nearest the stage.
Not long after we were situated, a woman with a white jumpsuit appeared on stage, accompanied by a scruffy looking male, who I gathered was her band partner.
She held a red guitar that was slung around her shoulder, her hair slicked back in an enticing high pony tail.
My boyfriend and I had bought the tickets not but a few hours before, so we were unsure of who, if any, the openers even were.
The music duo based in New York, known as Sofi Tukker, turned out to be a delightful surprise. They enchanted the crowd with their electric style performance, engaging audience at every opportunity.
The lights lining the top of the stage bounced along with the singers, making their entire performance ooze eccentricity. It was simply fun.
At one point, they even pulled two people from the crowd, joining them on stage to sing and dance along to their song ’Awoo’ which provides a funky beat that anyone would enjoy.
It was difficult to keep a smile contained throughout the show.
Considering the opening artist’s’ instrumental style with little to no lyrics, it was pleasantly surprising to see such a vibrant connection that they were able to make with the crowd.
The female counterpart was especially appealing, singing softly and intermittently to the crowd with passion, playing the electric guitar and swaying her hips and long ponytail along with her tune.
Not long after they began, we found ourselves completely immersed in their music, jumping up and down with the rest of the crowd around us.
As the electronic duo’s sultry performance comes to a close, the anticipation grew thick in the air.
During the brief intermission, the crowd gradually got closer to one another, forming an amoeba of eager fans.
Then, the stage went black, but only for moment. The stars were the only source of light.
White laser beams shot out into the darkness of the night, scanning the crowd and lighting up all the hands that were in the air.
The crowd exploded and the mob of people got even tighter.
It was the main act, Odesza.
The opening melody to their hit song, “Bloom” began to play.
The beat crept up slowly and finally dropped with explosion, produced by a drumline so in synch that it was breathtaking.
Their silhouettes danced in the fog that covered the stage, and short film clips of stars, earth, and bright colors painted the screen behind them.
The rest of the show was pure art.
The musicians all worked together using instruments ranging from saxophones, trumpets, piano, to a phenomenal drumline to generate a fantasy-like atmosphere. It was beautiful to hear.
While their melodies were remarkable, the visuals were also a memorable factor of the show, individualizing these musicians from others in their performance.
Odesza truly captured the crowd, providing a night of bliss for each who attended.
I was able to catch up with local LPC student, Ana Guerrero, who had the pleasure of enjoying the show the night before I did, calling it a truly magical night.
“It was so much more than a concert,” she said, “one of the best nights I’ve ever had”.
After giving such a rave review, she also noted the array of the crowd, telling me she was surprised at the diversity of the audience, in age in particular.
“People of all ages were there, I even think I danced next to a professor!”
Odesza sold out all three nights of their show at the Greek Theatre, Oct. 26-28, 2017. If you missed them and you’re interested, catch a closer look at the musicians and their shows by visiting their website at www.odesza.com