Django Django Live at The Fonda Theatre Los Angeles

Ring the alarm! Django Django killed it at LA’s renowned Fonda Theatre Saturday night. This was the last stop on their US tour and they were undeniably honored to play the world-famous venue. Though they received less favorable reviews from a few onlookers, the general consensus was that the show was a pleasurable experience.

Opening with jammy instrumental introduction only highlighted the boys’ psychedelic inclinations. This blended well into the urgent pulsation intro for “Hail Bop.” Filling in with the echo guitars and mellow hum of their voices in unison brought their strong points to light. Surprisingly, their beachy, ’60s-inspired sound translated extremely well in such an intimate enclosed setting. They coupled their complex music with simple light projections in the background; and the juxtaposition of the polar opposites was utterly appropriate and balanced. Especially considering the fact that this is their first album, the expectations were not high. Django Django started a little stiff, but eventually managed to steal the hearts of the entire room with “Waveforms,” engaging with the audience, inciting a major double clap throughout, and proving that even newbies can command the attention of a full audience.

Their live rendition of “Skies Over Cairo” was a breath of fresh air. Ethnic and experimental, this performance brought a new element to the indie electronic scene. A perfect mixture of synthetic and real sounds, Django Django energized the stage and audience in a way that is likeable from various musical vantage points. Following up with mega-hit “Default,” they maintained the steady bounce of the dance floor. “Life’s a Beach” only transitioned the jump into more of a rumble, backed by the heavy vibration of the bass reverberating to the back walls of the theatre.

Singer Vincent Neff warned that “WOR” would be their last song for the night, to the audience’s dismay. He acknowledged that, unfortunately, a band with only one album to play does not have as full of a show to offer; however, they did intend to create more music and return with a vengeance. Ending the night with “Silver Rays” as their encore was the ideal way to give fans one last delectable taste of the sweet set. Upon exiting the packed venue, one crowd member remarked, “I’ll definitely hold my breath til their next album. Can’t wait!” All in all, it seems like Django Django did the unthinkable – bringing a developed freshman album to life on stage, sounding like it was fifty years in the making.

Django Django Setlist:
Instrumental Intro
Hail Bop
Storm
Firewater
Waveforms
Love’s Dart
Hand of Man
Skies Over Cairo
Default
Life’s a Beach
WOR

Encore:
Silver Rays

Rachel Zimmerman: Rachel Zimmerman (Long Beach, CA) joined the mxdwn team in 2011 as a Live Concert Reviewer. It was the perfect intersection of two of her greatest passions- music and writing. Her love for anything artistic manifested early in life as she designed clothing, created ceramic sculptures, and curated personal playlists for her peers in elementary and high school. As an avid fan of live music, she always found a way to see her favorite musical artists play, whether it was by babysitting enough to pay for tickets to shows or by winning tickets on the radio. Several years, concerts and festivals later, she worked her way up to her current position as Concert Review Editor for music.mxdwn.com. She especially enjoys sharing her love for music with her young nephew who has an affinity for rock and roll and jazz. Rachel continues to review concerts, interview artists and annually attend SXSW in Austin, TX on behalf of mxdwn.
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