Disclosure performs at the second sold-out night at Echostage in Washington on Oct. 22, 2015.
For the first time in nearly two years, Disclosure made their way back into the capital, and to make up for it, they played back-to-back sold-out shows at Echostage nightclub.
This was quite a sizable improvement from their already impressive sold-out 9:30 Club show in 2013. Like last time, the Lawrence brothers, Guy and Howard, were touring in support of an album. This time it is was their September-released sophomore album, Caracal, which featured a star-studded lineup of collaborators, including Lorde, The Weeknd and Sam Smith, who was also featured on their hit song “Latch.”
Night two was supported by opening acts Pomo and Claude VonStroke, who warmed the crowd up with their house and techno vibes. After VonStroke’s set, stagehands sound-checked and prepared the stage for Disclosure to finish out the night. A little after 10:30 p.m. the lights went out and a bass drum started thumping. Bright-white lights flashed in time, and eventually, the brothers walked onstage. Taking their places at their individual stations, Howard picked up his bass guitar, and Guy picked up his drumsticks. The synth kicked in and the duo broke into the song “White Noise.” Backed with white lighting and dark shadows, the brothers started off the night with a dance beat and vocals provided by AlunaGeorge.
After opening with older hits “White Noise” and “F for You,” the two shifted gears and transitioned into playing newer songs, including “Magnet” and “Omen.” A majority of the sets came from Caracal, but still contained the staples from Settle. They played “You & Me” and “When a Fire Starts to Burn” before closing the night with “Latch” as the encore.
The multi-instrumentalist brothers shifted musical duties throughout the set, bouncing between singing vocals and playing drums, bass and keys. The transitions between instruments were seamless, and the sound quality was exactly what you would expect from these crisp producers. The visuals featured strobes, light beams and Jumbotron projections of the brothers, all beneath the visual motif of the face-outline design that has been on the cover of all their major releases since 2013.
Disclosure breathes life into the house genre, which is currently flooded with an overabundance of the same sound. This life is amplified in their live sets, which have a swing and flow to them an average DJ set would lack. The performance is a labor of love for the brothers, and it shows within the sets, as every note is hit exactly right. Despite this perfection, the human element still comes through each song, making Disclosure one of the most exciting live acts to see in 2015.
