Jessy Lanza Vibes Out at The Echoplex

Words by Greg Poblete | Photos by Nathan Ibarbol

September 23, 2023 — Canadian singer/songwriter Jessy Lanza put on a dazzling performance at the Echoplex in Los Angeles. In support of her fifth album Love Hallucination released in July, Lanza brought plenty of grooves and sensual moves to the Echo Park venue.

Opening the show was Philadelphia-based artist Lucy Liyou. Known for their disorienting music, Liyou creates a synthetic blend of natural and technological sounds. While playing keys on stage, Liyou manages to use dissonance to produce a chaotic symphony of sorts with unconventional, improvised piano playing over blaring ambient sounds. Although a bit enigmatic and difficult to grasp, Liyou is authentic and provides a unique twist on the artistic expression. 

Before the next set started, it is necessary to applaud whoever was in charge of the house music at the Echoplex on Saturday, September 23, 2023 because they were playing some absolute heaters. I tried to Shazam every song that came on and most of the songs weren’t even on streaming. A couple of the songs I was able to track down were “Get to Paradise” by Mari Kaneko and “Dil Hai Chota Sa,” both hidden gems. 

Up next was Jessy Lanza. A rather elusive performer hidden behind keys and minimal lighting for most of the show, Lanza managed to pump out disco-tinged electronic music through rumbling synths contrasting with her soft vocals. Performing alongside her sister, Angie, the duo brought Jessy’s colorful production to life swapping between instruments on stage including drums, bass, keys, and an aerophone.  

The tracks from the new album, Love Hallucination were hard-hitting with sparkly grooves and dreamy synths. When Angie was on the bass, the low-end of each track swallowed the entire room, and when she hopped on the drums, each beat shot directly to the heart. A few highlights from this album were “Don’t Leave Me Now” and “Limbo.” The aerophone solo on “Marathon” was also an amazing moment to hear live. 

Jessy also performed a handful of tracks from her past projects such as All the Time and Oh No. Hearing these songs live definitely gave them much more life, making them sound fuller and more colorful. The sister duo reminded me a bit of the electronic group, Purity Ring, just with more dance instrumentals and no programmed light fixtures on stage. Jessy’s vocals are subtle, but complement the watery-electronic beats mixing together to produce the perfect kind of music to get lost in. 

Speaking of getting lost, the hallucinating visuals displayed on the screen towards the back of the stage was a very nice touch. Most of the time, the screen lit up optical illusion-looking patterns and brightly colored lights, and a few instances, there were distorted faces and animals shown. Paired with striking lighting that danced and strobed around the performers on stage, the visual aspect of the show was quite tasteful. Although for most of the show, Jessy was not adequately lit up, the lights were artistically done and made it feel like a WeHo nightclub. 

Looking out into the crowd of people, it definitely looked like a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard. The crowd was consistently and sensually dancing to every song, really letting loose in the heart of Echo Park. Jessy essentially provided the playlist for the club-goers to move to, and there was nothing in the world that could stop them. Everyone was dressed beautifully, they showed Jessy tons of energy and respect, and overall, were just a very cool crowd. 

The very last song of the night was the 2020 classic, “Lick In Heaven.” With some of the most infectious melodies in her discography, this track was the perfect send off for the set. Overall, Jessy Lanza put on a very intimate and vibrant show at the Echoplex that got everyone in the crowd jiving the whole night through.

If you get the chance to catch Jessy Lanza on her tour, you will be in for a night full of dancing and the most immaculate vibes. To see upcoming tour dates, check out Jessy Lanza’s website. And make sure to listen to the new album, Love Hallucination, available now on all streaming platforms.