Big Wild w/ Phantoms and Imagined Herbal Flows
Showbox, Seattle, WA
03.18.17
Shivering outside The Showbox, you might not expect to walk in and find a bunch of teens dressed like it’s August, but that’s exactly what happened when Big Wild came to Seattle. The up-and-coming electronic artist was on his first headlining tour, in support of his Invincible EP, and his young fans showed up to dance the night away.
The show opened with IHF (Imagined Herbal Flows), who delivered a really chill, laid-back set, which was a nice way to slowly warm up the crowd. His set wasn’t one that you could party to. But you could get lost in it, as one track perfectly drifted into the next. His work was atmospheric and essentially made you feel like you were floating, just as his first EP is titled.
Next up was Phantoms, the energetic, party-driven set of the night. Filled with mostly their own tracks, the duo also mixed in more familiar artists like Ariana Grande. While there were a few off moments, as a whole their set was pretty wild. Big bass drops got everyone jumping around, and a lot of love came from the crowd, resulting in a fun set that had the floor bouncing.
Finally up to headline, Big Wild – née Jackson Stell – ran on stage after a few minutes of a desert landscape video being projected on the screens around his set up. He opened with “I Just Wanna,” one of the first releases off Invincible, and it was a great way to start the night. The track was exciting and very fast paced, never repetitive or boring, and constantly turning in a new direction.
Regardless whether it was because of Big Wild’s bass-heavy remixes or a plethora of intoxicants, Showbox’s floor felt like a trampoline throughout the night. People violently banged their heads, whipped their hair, and danced up a sweaty frenzy. But they sure had smiles on their faces as Stell absolutely killed his live performance.
The set continued with more fun, summery tracks that got the whole crowd pumped. He concluded with crowd favorite, “Aftergold,” that got everyone cheering. It was a beautiful track. There were enough vocals in it that it was easy to sing along, but the music that Big Wild put together was powerful and extremely well done.
While all of Stell’s music carried similar themes, due to the way he makes it, the tracks flowed well into each other. Each song had unique traits, however, he’s created a setlist that basically makes his performance like an hour long mix, rather than a collection of different tracks. It’s a very skilled performance, one that doesn’t allow you to get bored because you’re constantly trying to keep up with his next move. Big Wild brought the party to the Showbox, and will hopefully come back soon because that set was simply pure fun.
Review by Lulu Dawson
Photos by Stephanie Dore
Big Wild
Phantoms
Imagined Herbal Flows
