Michael DixAs Robert DeLong left the stage, you could physically feel the anticipation magnify in the crowd. Spaces between people shrunk, and the entirety of the Odesza mob waddled as close to the stage as humanly possible. The following twenty minutes felt like an hour, and everyone could barely stand still as the blissful, Seattle-based duo was scheduled to take the stage. They arrived to a roaring cheer, and rewarded our patience with IPlayYouListen, the perfect opening song for an indescribably euphoric night.
The Glass House, a renowned medium-size venue in Pomona, CA, proved to be the perfect setting for Odesza’s sound, as their joyous synths rang throughout the building. Live trumpeters even joined in on some of the tracks while Odesza banged away on the drums. My personal favorite, their remix of Slow Magic’s Waited 4 U, almost brought me to tears with its genuine beauty.
With a masterful encore, they truly saved the best for last. The talented vocalist Zyra trotted out on stage and belted out Say My Name with the enthusiastic help from the crowd. This would have definitely been enough, but Odesza likes to go above and beyond expectations. For the last hurrah, they let loose a filthy trap song with the trumpeters acting as the lead instruments. Yes you read that right. Odesza dropped a trap song, and it utterly massacred the crowd.
Artists like Odesza provide a refreshing atmosphere in a time when EDM is filled with monotonous genres and copy-and-paste synths. Their clean sound design showcases their extremely versatile talents, and emanates beautifully when amplified in a live set. If you haven’t had the pleasure of witnessing it yet, add them to your must-see list as their In Return tour comes to an end in a little less than a month.
Image Source: Daily Trojan