Re:SET day 2: One other day of greatness with Lacy, Blake and extra
“It’s my good friend’s birthday!” a concertgoer yelled throughout a quiet second in Steve Lacy’s set at day two of Re:SET.
“I don’t give a rattling!” Steve Lacy replied. “Completely happy birthday, good friend! No tea, no shade. I simply don’t give a rattling.” This charming second of viewers interplay is the proper encapsulation of that evening of performances: quirky, distinctive and forceful.
Final Saturday was yet one more triumph at Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater. As one of many first hosts of the modern new competition Re:SET, Stanford noticed a number of the most notable artists within the nation performing a dozen units over the weekend. For day two, Steve Lacy headlined with James Blake, Toro y Moi and Fousheé supporting.
Fousheé’s intimate opening set primed the gang for day two of Re:SET. She sang in entrance of two massive mirrors that mirrored her physique, her viewers and the timber surrounding the amphitheater. Fousheé hypnotized the gang, pairing her raspy voice with acoustic guitar to nice impact.
Toro y Moi and his band took the stage shortly thereafter because the solar started to set. With a sound palette of easy ’80s synths, booming bass and exquisite vocals, the artist represented the height of the Web style of chillwave.
The music itself was implausible. Even with solely 4 performers on stage, every music was full of wealthy psychedelic element and crafted from a soundscape of distinctive synthesizers. There have been dozens of catchy synth melodies and vocal hooks written into every composition as properly. General, I couldn’t have been extra happy.
Some of the fascinating elements of Toro y Moi’s efficiency was how easy and exquisite his voice sounded: even when chatting with the viewers between tracks, he sounded luscious! His crystal-clear enunciation stood out amongst the entire artists I’ve seen stay — let’s simply say that he would make an important radio present host.
On the subject of nice voices, James Blake got here out because the third and closing opening act. The British R&B singer, songwriter and producer was a welcome addition to the lineup, bringing the strongest and saddest feelings to Re:SET that day. In contrast to the upbeat Lacy or groovy Toro y Moi, Blake labored greatest with the sparse R&B backing that allow his dynamic baritone vocals shine.
He performed fairly a couple of covers, together with Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” (a music Blake produced for Ocean) and “Hope She’ll Be Happier” by Invoice Withers. He made every of those songs into his personal by means of minimalist, piano-driven magnificence — they blended proper in with the remainder of his set.
The 6’5” artist towered over everybody else round him, however he additionally exuded sensitivity and thoughtfulness. In reality, after his set, he gently made his manner into the gang to take pictures with excited followers. It was a candy second that broke the obstacles between artist and viewers.
Steve Lacy arrived about quarter-hour late — being the primary artist to not come out on time for the whole competition (a formidable feat for the organizers to say the least). After receiving roughly 4 straight minutes of cheering over an instrumental model of “Cody Freestyle,” Lacy broke from his static robotic pose into “Helmet,” a spotlight from his new viral sensation report “Gemini Rights.”
Lacy introduced among the finest backing bands I’ve seen at Re:SET thus far. His drummer was dominating his equipment with daring fills and dynamic, in-the-pocket taking part in. Nonetheless, Lacy’s stage setup was in no way conducive in highlighting the work of those hard-working musicians. From my perspective, on the correct aspect of the entrance row, I may barely see them behind a big display screen projecting random b-roll footage behind Lacy.
The present would have vastly benefited from somebody aside from Lacy being the one individual seen for a lot of the live performance. For your entire efficiency, I may solely assume, “Lacy, don’t disguise your musicians!”
Nonetheless, he’s nonetheless a compelling stage presence in his personal proper. His vocals had been constantly spot on, with him even making the be aware that he “doesn’t use Autotune.” He introduced a radiant power to every thing from his large hits to deeper cuts from his better discography.
Whereas performing the gorgeous “Sunshine,” which options Fousheé, he really introduced her again on stage for a duet! This was a pleasant bow to tie collectively the occasion. Lacy went out with a bang with two of his best (and largest) hits, “Dangerous Behavior” and “Darkish Pink.”
General, Re:SET day two didn’t disappoint. The competition used day two to focus on extra common music with a well-paced, good lineup. It was, fairly merely, a easy and well-organized occasion that includes nice music and even better power.
Editor’s Notice: This text is a assessment and consists of subjective ideas, opinions and critiques.
