After everything that’s been going on for the last, let’s say, forever, we all need a good reset. Honestly, anything that can do even the slightest bit of Men in Black mind-erasing of recent memory is worth the money. That’s where the Re:SET concert series comes in, a traveling outdoor event that launched its inaugural “tour” in Los Angeles this weekend, June 2nd-4th.
Meant to be a refreshing take on the festival format, the three-day bill is scheduled to hit cities across the country like New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and more over each June weekend. The AEG-backed series doesn’t force tough decisions with conflicting set times or entirely too-short breaks in between sets. Each night’s headliner (LCD Soundsystem, boygenius, Steve Lacy) also had the pick of the supporting litter by being able to curate their own bill, so the evenings weren’t so much about cohesion as they were about whom the artists wanted to spotlight with their allotted time. That led to some pretty interesting bills and an exciting time during Re:SET’s first weekend.
Get tickets to the remaining stops through the event website.
Day 1: Steve Lacy – Sensuality Served with a Side of Steve
Based on his lineup, Steve Lacy wanted to highlight smoothness and sexiness. Fousheé’s inherent seduction offered something different than that of Toro Y Moi’s, but in the best of ways. Chaz Bear’s set was an all around a good time — not solely with his discography, but with whom he is as a person. His uninhibited spirit effortlessly emitted out to the crowd just as easily as the sound did from the speakers, bringing so many people together of different backgrounds and styles.
“So Many Details” had a whirled, kaleidoscopic atmosphere that produced an enjoyably sedative effect (though it’s possible the wafting THC throughout the air had something to do with it). The more energy he exerted, the more everyone joined in. His lyrically emphatic, “I don’t give a fuck,” on “Laws of the Universe” parlayed into the maximizing all-good-things message of “Ordinary Pleasure.” Bear bobbled about the stage, cheekily throwing flirtatious looks and winks at the audience. Everyone loved it.
After covering Flume’s “The Difference,” the last three songs were like Toro Y Magic. He gave blessings and salutations to the other artists on the bill (Lacy in particular, of course) as he made his way through “Rose Quartz.” Once “Freelance” hit, an audience member stuck an incense directly into that sweet Brookside soil and lit it, enveloping those in the vicinity with the proper cleansing for the full moon rising in the sky.
That moon soon became another piece of stage decor, almost as if lighting tech climbed scaffolding up to the high heavens and plopped that natural satellite in its place. As the air grew chillier and the night grew darker, James Blake sought to open sleepy eyes with a light show during the Travis Scott-featuring “Mile High,” his vocals reverberated off the crisp gusts of wind and wet air. “I’m gonna take you from daylight to dusk to the evening,” Blake crooned before going into “Say What You Will.”
