Review: Rüfüs Du Sol at The Anthem
Photo courtesy of GQ.
On August 8th, Rüfüs Du Sol made a quick stop by The Anthem to share with us their new album work titled “Solace.” Hailing from Australia, Rüfüs Du Sol is comprised of three electronic instrumentalists, Tyrome Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt. The trio has spent just about a decade creating indie and alternative dance music that resonates with their fans, growing their fan base and collaborating with the likes of many other artists under the Foreign Family Collective. The first time I was able to catch one of these coveted sets was in 2018 at Electric Forest, under a June full moon, amidst a sea of lasers, trees and intricately designed totems. Surreal couldn’t even begin to describe that moment and I was sure that nothing would surpass then but, I learned very quickly that exceeding expectations was very much in their nature.
To set the scene for the night, Monolink warmed up the crowd with his multi-instrumental skills and soothing vocals. With his hypnotic bass vibrations and sultry lighting, he cultivated his vibey house style, complete with guitar and keyboard flourishes and deep house beats. Though the crowd started off the night, dispersed through the venue, Monolink’s unique and intriguing style began to draw in closer to the front, leaving a surplus of room in the back for a few flow artists and shufflers the show off to his beats. Though Monolink maintained simplicity with his visuals and lighting, the real spectacle was watching this multifaceted artist flow effortlessly between his instruments before humbly thanking the crowd and making his way off stage. Needless to say, he was the perfect accent to a night of therapeutic soundscapes.
I was able to make my way to the center of the crowd during the quick intermission before Rüfüs Du Sol took the stage and to say the atmosphere was electric, might be a slight understatement. My group of friends and I squeezed in right between two other friend groups and were immediately met with the friendliest introductions, hugs and recounting of past times they were able to see Rüfüs Du Sol as well.
After a few more minutes of soothing music, the lights dimmed red lights appeared on the raised stages, accompanied by fog and white strobes. The trio walked out confidently on the stage and took their place before opening the show with a deep and heavy Intro and a smooth transition into “Eyes,” the second track on their newest album. The crowd around me jumped and danced without a care in the world, being swept away by Lindqvist’s liquid vocals, Hunt’s hypnotic drum beats and George’s keyboard flourishes.
Throughout the night the trio fanned crowd favorites such as “Like An Animal,” “You Were Right,” “Treat You Better” and “Innerbloom,” prompting the audience to sing along to every emotional melody that was heard. As the lasers glistened and gleamed through the crowds, the colorscapes created a sort of therapeutic moment for us all, allowing us to experience not only the auditory experience that was the Solace tour, but the visual experience as well. The group ended the show with “Another Life,” the last song on the album before returning for a three song encore. I would have to say one of my favorite moments of the night was seeing the crowd dance to their cover of Deadmau5’s “Not Exactly” in the middle of the encore, a treat that many were not expecting.
Rüfüs Du Sol ended the night with one of my favorite tracks off of their new album, “No Place.” It was a beautiful culmination of the many elements of the night and hearing the crowd sing out the lyrics “There’s no place I’d rather be” was just enough to bring me back to that dreamlike state of the first time I saw them. Rüfüs Du Sol has mastered the art of harmonious and soulful performance in the scope of electronic music and I am more than thrilled to see what they are going to create next.