Returning to the famed Greek Theatre almost two years to the day of their last stop there, electro-folk duo Sylvan Esso had a packed crowd Thursday night singing and dancing all night long.
It’s quite an amazing journey that vocalist Amelia Meath and multi-instrumentalist Nick Sanborn have taken us on over the years. You never would have thought that two people on stage — one dancing and singing, the other pulling knobs and pushing buttons — would be such a dynamic stage show capable of filling a venue the size of the Greek Theatre. But these two have always been strong performers and Thursday night was no different.
Touring in support of last year’s fourth full-length record No Rules Sandy, the Durham, North Carolina duo returned to basics after some time changing things up by incorporating a live band back in 2019 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Though that was an interesting experience, it didn’t quite hit the same as just seeing Meath and Sanborn on stage.
The duo ripped through a 21-song set, leaning heavily on their incredible debut full-length self-titled record from 2014. “Dress”, “Hey Mami”, and “Coffee” were those old favorites that helped blow them up, along with the word-of-mouth that accompanied seeing them perform live. “Radio” and “Die Young” from 2017’s What Now also struck a cord with the crowd.
I never get tired of seeing Sylvan Esso perform live and will continue supporting them as they make trips to Los Angeles. The Greek Theatre show came before a couple nights spent in Pioneertown at Pappy & Harriet’s, a more intimate setting that many hardcore fans made the trek out to. Reyna Tropica opened up the Greek Theatre show.
Words by Mark Ortega
Photos by Tim Aarons
