By Justin Yee //
ODESZA //
Mezzanine – San Francisco
September 18th, 2014 //
Back in April, ODESZA played a sold-out show at The Independent, which had fellow Showbams writer Kory Thibeault claiming that they were “poised to explode into electronic stratosphere.” Fast forward five months to the present, and it’s safe to say that they’ve not only met those expectations, but also have hit the big time.
This was never more evident than this past Thursday, as the Seattle production duo of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight kicked off their “In Return” tour at Mezzanine in support of their recently released sophomore LP. After selling out the show months in advance, a second SF date was added just to meet popular demand.
As someone who is new to their music, it wasn’t until I heard the first single off In Return, “Memories That You Call” featuring Monsoonsiren, that I really got hooked and realized I had been sleeping on them for two years. Their take on the modern electronic sound blends catchy beats with infectious, ambient melodies and pop-infused hooks that emotionally captivates listeners in ways that other artists can’t.
ODESZA’s set at Mezzanine was explosive — a combination of hypnotizing visuals and sound that had the crowd in sensory overload. It’s apparent that they have been hard at work perfecting their live performance. Their use of live drums adds a human element, which allows them to create remixes on the fly as they feed off the energy from the crowd.
This tour marked the next chapter of the group’s rising success and maybe the last time you’ll be able to see them in venues of less than a 1,000-person capacity. Don’t sleep on ODESZA. I’ve already learned my lesson!
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