Jamie xx Brings Waves Of Vibes To Armory

On a night so bitterly cold that lining up for a concert felt more like battle than anticipation, Jamie xx’s In Waves tour brought the funk, vibes and downright groovy atmosphere that was exactly what this weekend’s Minneapolis crowd needed to stay warm. Having released his first new album in a decade last fall with In Waves, it was Jamie’s first tour in North America in some time, so the sizeable crowd that resulted was no surprise. Folks huddled and bunched after escaping the frigid midwest landscape, eager to see what the arthouse DJ had in store for his rapt fans this time.

A variety of Numero Group Label’s DJs opened the evening, spinning a variety of funky and soulful vinyl that got the frost off the crowd, keeping things light and airy for a good long while as folks settled in and settled down. The scattering of production rigs around the floor of the Armory helped set the mood as warm, bright red glows filled the negative space and kept the experience feeling snug and homey.

Jamie xx popped onto the stage right at 9pm and wasted no time getting right to it. A blaring strobe and a set of lights to his right and left keeping him company as he launched into his set, balancing a cut of new tracks from In Waves with tracks pulled from the various corners of the internet. His production made sense when viewed from above - the various lights scattered around the cavernous venue pulsed in waves with the thrum of the bass drum, scattering waves over the crowd as they lost themselves in Jamie’s groove.

The DJ inevitably cycled back to his earlier work as well, with In Colour lead single “Gosh” bubbling to the surface in pieces but also as a full song, but the englishman’s set mostly jumped all over the place between covers and tracks off his latest album. This seemed to suit the crowd just fine - a relaxed, hypnotic pulse settled over the crowd as they enjoyed the masterful spinning of the more chill and reserved stylings of the evening. Though the DJ didn’t play as long as some others that swing through the walls of Minneapolis’ finest, he more than made up for it with quality and memorability, a more intimate and intentional experience that the fans who made the icy trek are sure to remember for some time to come.