No doubt attributable to their status as pioneers who have been in part responsible for launching the chillwave genre and forever ingraining the style into the paradigm of independent music, Toro y Moi sold out Emo’s large East Austin locale Saturday night. Shortly after doors opened, a mass of enthusiastic fans already packed the area in front of the stage.
Standing behind his table of synths and keys, Toro y Moi’s central figure Chaz Bundick wore khakis, a button up, round-rim glasses, and for most of the night, a winning smile. Paying careful attention to the slightest adjustments of sound texture, Bundick provided the tapestry that his backing musicians rounded out with guitar, bass, and drums. Large, rectangular light displays positioned behind the band created dynamic backlighting that made photography difficult, but occasionally interesting (gallery below). Culling songs primarily from Toro y Moi’s newest effort Anything in Return, the band kept fans engrossed for the duration of their set, which proved expansive and foreceful.
Toro y Moi chose well with openers Wild Belle and Dog Bite. Wild Belle, who have limited history on which to develop opinions, made a case for themselves by transcending recordings and videos and delivering a strong live set. Natalie Bergman’s vocals and onstage dancing captivated the audience as she swayed to the band’s reggae-infused guitars and her brother Elliot’s bass sax.
I even overheard a few concertgoers claiming that the first opener Dog Bite stole the show. Featuring Phil Jones of Washed Out fame, Dog Bite have flown remarkably under the radar, but just had an LP drop via Carpark Records this week. Dog Bite’s slightly distorted upbeat pop made for an excellent set, and left me wanting to find out as much as I could about this band.
I went to the Toro y Moi show excited to see a band who has played an important role in the landscape of independent music over the past half decade, but only as an occasional fan. I came away convinced and impressed by all three of these bands.
All photos below © Bryan Parker and Pop Press International. Click any image to open gallery in slideshow view.
