Austin – Though I never thought I would see platform shoes make their way back into the entertainment industry, the very lively front-woman of Sylvan Esso impressively managed to incorporate the seemingly unwieldy footgear into her on stage routine. Adopting an almost tribal style of dance, former a cappella singer Amelia Meath shuffled and slid to the sleek electronic beats courtesy of her counterpart Nick Sanborn. Packing the house at Emo’s, the two had no trouble drawing the crowd into their dance fever, inspiring a broad range of moves among their listeners.
Employing a series of backlights lining the stage behind them, the pair created a shadowy and mysterious presence. As they began their set with their single “Hey Mami”, the two were only distinguishable by their silhouettes. And with the song’s climb to its electro peak, the bright fixtures began to blink even more frenetically, abruptly coming to a halt as the song’s last lyrics faded out.
Based on the appearance of the crowd before the show began, I would have anticipated a far less enthusiastic energy. Some looked bored, while others looked tired, but such is the default look for many of the trendiest indie music fans. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see fatigue and apathy transform into cheers of appreciation and thrill as the band segued into their second selection, “Shiny Bruises”. With a more upbeat and brightly lit transition, attendees clapped and jived to the song’s, dare I say, infectious chorus. Meath’s voice navigated the song’s course of synth-soaked rhythms beautifully, made even more impressive by her belly dancer-esque hand and leg movements.
As the set progressed, the beginning notes of the group’s most popular single, “Coffee”, found the crowd at its most raucous. Not a song I would consider to be very much of a sing-along, the audience made it into one as they sang, swayed, and stomped along to the song’s spacious and well-organized sequence of clinks, drums, and synth.
My personal favorite of the evening was “H.S.K.T.”, with its repetitive mantras aligning with a pulsing electronic beat. Sweating her golden eyebrows off at this point, Meath never failed to keep the energy up and create a spectacle of never before seen dance moves, all while maintaining recording-quality vocals.
Strategically placing their most vibrant pop tune “Play it Right” at the end of their pre-encore set, the pair stirred up quite the frenzy. As the chorus bursts into a swell of harmonies, some of the goers jumped while others moved their arms in the air to the song’s twists and turns. Probably the most exhilarating performance of the evening, I found myself absorbed in the song’s suspenseful build, and couldn’t help but bop and jerk unselfconsciously to the songs climactic flurry of electro pop melodies.
Though some fell for the band’s fake goodnight, most stayed planted in their spot waiting for the duo to take the stage once more. Though not quite able to master the “one more song” chant, the crowd’s obvious adoration proved worthy of an encore as Sylvan Esso appeared from the shadows. Revealing that we were actually the largest crowd they’ve played for, the two thanked the crowd and proceeded into their encore. Closing the show out with a Porches cover, followed by the acoustic “Come Down”, the set ended on a note of peacefulness, easing us out of the electric haze and back into the reality of Monday morning.
Ruth Griffin
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