Review: Red Bull Sound Select ft. FIDLAR

Last Thursday, Feb. 27, FIDLAR headlined the Echoplex as part of Red Bull’s Sound Select showcase. Doors were set to open at 8pm so I arrived around 7:30pm. Not surprisingly, there was already a line down the block. From what I heard, there was up towards 2500 RSVP’s to the show. I also overheard some kids at the front of the line mention they had been in line at the Echoplex since 10:30am. Why yes, they skipped school, but of course “fuck it dog, life’s a risk,” seemed to be the justification for their actions. See what I did there? 😉

First up was Isaac Rother & The Phantoms. They seemed a little out of place amidst the rest of the lineup, but the performance was a pleasant surprise. The group, fronted by Rother who was dressed in a golden cloak, donning an afro and skull and bones necklace, put just as much effort into their appearance as their sound. That’s not to say they didn’t sound great though, because they did. Bluesy riffs and doo-wop style vocals made the performance an enjoyable one for me.

Next up was Cherry Glazerr. I had been hearing a lot of buzz around the local band so I was expecting great things. The crowd really got pumped up and after a couple of songs I spotted a few crowd surfers, which was strange, really, considering how slow the current song was. I could see the appeal with Cherry Glazerr, but they just weren’t my thing. The whole set seemed static to me, with little variance between songs.

Thanks to the flu that decided to plague me the night of the show, I missed most of Cheatahs’ set (hence no photographs, sorry guys). However, what I did catch from the London-based band impressed me. The crowd was digging the set as well, but having sat through three bands it was obvious they were getting a bit anxious for FIDLAR to come on.

Finally, after a short, but extremely enthusiastic (read, “drunken”) introduction from fellow LA band Beach Party, FIDLAR took the stage. Chaos ensued. Side note: I once asked a friend what she thought of FIDLAR and she replied (excuse the profanity), “they make me want to fuck shit up.” Well, imagine a majority of the Echoplex filled with people with that same mentality. The crowd went absolutely nuts. I feel like there’s no in-between with this band. You either love them, or you don’t. Obviously, everyone at the show adored this band. There wasn’t one song without a crowd surfer in sight or without the audience screaming along. They played quite a bit off their self-titled release with a new song here and there, to which the crowd responded well. It was my second time seeing the band and they did not disappoint. 

Overall, it was an incredible show. Incredible in every aspect, actually. Incredibly loud. Incredibly packed. Incredibly gross and hot. Body odor and sweat aside…I applaud Red Bull for yet another fantastic showcase.