At first glance, the pairing of jazz experimentalist Kamasi Washington and electro-pop hitmakers Sylvan Esso seemed like a really odd mix. However, when Washington and his band took the stage, it didn’t take long for the audience to warm up to his impressive brand of hard, heavy, funk and hip hop infused jazz. Before the first song was over, a significant percentage of the audience was up and dancing. Hard.
Washington’s band, which includes his own father, Ricky Washington, on soprano sax, was solid. Washington on alto sax is a fine band leader. He knows how to bring out the best in his band, giving fellow bandmates the space to show off their chops. They played a sizable chunk of the recently released Heaven and Earth, which is an epic record in itself, as it is no less than five records long if you include the hidden album. One significant highlight was the track “Truth,” which was a sonic metaphor for the beauty of diversity. How did they do it? By having all five band members play a completely different melody at once. It was a stunning performance.
Washington’s set was a full hour long, but only felt like it was about ten minutes. Moments after the sun completely set over the beautiful outdoor venue, keyboardist / producer Nick Sanborn walked out onto the massive stage all by his lonesome, and got behind the his keyboards. He began to noodle with his keys, and, as he did this, a giant, light up claw at the back center of the stage “danced” along to whatever he played. It was a subtle and impressive way to begin the set. Vocalist Amelia Meath’s voice came in a few minutes later, while the entire left side of the stage was completely dark, and the duo performed the sparse track “Sound,” the lead off track from last year’s What Now?. A dark blue light washed over the stage, revealing Meath to the crowd, as they kicked the show into high gear with “Dreamy Bruises” off the band’s debut album.
In past visits to the Bay Area, Sylvan Esso’s live shows, although excellent, have largely been fairly subdued. Although, yes, the music is largely “electronic,” they play almost like a folk duo in a cafe. Tonight, on the other hand, it felt like they made a conscientious to perform like they are playing an arena. They managed to make that transition in a way that few bands actually pull of correctly. Songs simply sounded more energized and fuller. The light show behaved like a third member of the band, adding the kind of depth to the songs that a great bassist provides. This felt like a rebirth of Sylvan Esso.
Meath has always been a captivating frontperson, but tonight she had also brought showmanship to the next level. There are few people who move like Meath on stage. She is friendly and relatable, especially when she told stories like the one about the joy she felt when she visited Berkeley Bowl for the first time that afternoon. She always wears giant thick boots on stage, yet manages to move as light and effortlessly as a prima ballerina. She also never stops moving, yet she also never misses a beat or breath. Her singing style is delicate and soulful, and able to handle incredibly complex rhythm patterns inside incredibly catchy melodies. This was especially evident when Meath sang their debut single, “Coffee” – the elongated line “Get up, get down” paired with the syncopation of “Feel the general attention, and stop, see the mix won’t work” — it was like pure sonic candy.
Of course, no live show is complete without an audience, and this crowd was on FIRE! The entire venue was a giant, massive dance party. Choruses to even the deepest of cuts were sung by the crowd louder than the band. Things lit up especially hot when they played their latest single, “PARAD(w/m)E,” a song that really stands out as a bona fide dance anthem. The audience stayed energized clear through the closing number, a rousing sing along of the gorgeous “Play It Right.” Afterwards, the audience filed out, sweaty and smiling into the warm July night.
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More Kamasi Washington photos can be found here!
More Sylvan Esso photos can be found here!
