Sylvan Esso closed out the current US leg of their tour supporting Ow ∞, their latest album, last night in Minneapolis to a sold out First Avenue crowd. Unlike their 2023 show at the Armory, this time, the duo brought a full band along for the ride.

Vocalist Amelia Meath carried the show’s physical energy – having a blast while dancing, jumping, and, of course, singing with a tasseled dress that bounced along with her. Producer Nick Sanborn built the show’s sonic energy with a DJ-esque setup and bass alongside the live band. Collectively, the group’s electric symphony riveted the room for nearly two hours.

At 19, I was admittedly one of the youngest in the room by quite a few years, allowing me to see a different generation of concertgoers. Unlike most of Gen-Z, the crowd barely had their phones up. Nobody was looking out into a sea of screens, and instead, there was a sense of community and presentness that’s rarely seen at concerts now. Those in the back of the room were dancing and singing with each other, and others in the crowd were waving their arms up in the air and simply feeling the music. Because of this, it was a particularly dynamic concert to observe. I watched people being people, rather than people performing for a social media clip.

Perhaps the most fun moments of the night were when the bubble machines went off, thrusting the crowd into a dreamlike moment. Instead of the traditional concert confetti, Sylvan Esso opted for bubbles (not once, but twice!), only compounding on the pure fun being had.

Before the show closed out, Meath explained that the band decided to stop doing fake encores, a statement that got many cheers. Everyone on the stage left before she shifted to perform what seemed like it would be a solo live-looped song, but after some technical difficulties, the band returned for a three song “encore,” ending the show with a bang worthy of everyone’s buck.

Written and photographed by Maria Stellmach / View full gallery here