After scorching their respective sets at Outside Lands in San Francisco on Sunday, GRiZ and Lettuce kept the heat coming at an intimate, sold-out get down at The Independent.
With fans lining the sidewalk of one of the most musically rich areas in the city, the two acts came correct for this late addition to the list of afterparties, capping off an incredible festival weekend for many, or simply an epic Sunday for the rest of the Bay Area faithful.
Lettuce delivered a classic performance to help lay the foundation for the night. The funky ways of their older originals like “Lettsanity,” “Madison Square” and “The Last Suppit” unhinged any feet that may have been stuck as the group’s flawless timing and chemistry were on full display.
In a more favorable setting than their gig a few hours earlier on the Panhandle Stage at Golden Gate Park, Lettuce got to indulge in their improvisation, jettisoning to spaced-out boundaries that hypnotized the crowd.
Nigel Hall even had a chance to ignite the room with his simmering vocals, charging through “Don’t Change for Me” off his 2015 solo project, Ladies & Gentlemen.
The anticipation for GRiZ had to overcome an inauspicious start once the soundboard went kaput barely two minutes into his set. He handled like a pro, and calmed the anxious crowd with a saxophone-led “When the Saints Go Marching In” sing-along while the crew reset the system.
When the show resumed, the small venue atmosphere became even more electrifying as GRiZ and the gushing crowd finally synced up, matching the beloved producer’s sounds with an ear-to-ear grin and righteous move on the dance floor.
GRiZ’s refreshing approach to futuristic funk resonates with every crowd because he lets his influences shine so organically. The vibrations of his saxophone and tension-release beats flow together in perfect harmony as he let the good times roll.
It was a party in every sense of the word, and more evidence for the case that few can host them as well as Lettuce and GRiZ.
[Photo via The Independent//Instagram]