AUSSIE ENERGY

by Victoria Wasylak

Photo courtesy of Hermitude's Facebook Page

Hermitude draws one hell of an oddball crowd—at traditional rock venue The Sinclair, no less. The Australian EDM duo sold out their show on March 1, but the fans in the crowded venue didn’t care much for getting down, many doing the signature nonchalant head bob and half-hearted swaying motions, despite their clearly enthusiastic cheers and applause. Don’t they know that’s a rock thing?

The Sinclair is known for showcasing the best in indie, rock and alternative pop and usually leaves EDM shows to the House of Blues and Royale. The bros still made their way out to Cambridge on a Tuesday night, though. In the mezzanine, one guy in a Great Gatsby t-shirt leaned over the railing in a complete stupor, while another attempted to persuade me to dance with him in my snap story. Security guards circled the premises in a weed and underage drinker version of “Where’s Waldo?” while Luke Dubs (Luke Dubber) and El Gusto (Angus Stuart) showed off their DJing skills on the Jumbotron to prove they were doing actual work.

By the time the audience was totally warmed up into full-on raver mode, arms flailing and hot sweat dripping down faces and melting mascara, the hour set was over. Keys songs throughout the set helped to loosen fans up; the remix of Odesza’s “Say My Name” brought instant joy from the recognizable intro and prior to “Speak of the Devil,” the most active dancers in the room were the performers in the group’s montage in the background. Add in a little encouragement from band to do a middle finger salute, and everyone was ready to party as soon as the show had finished.

“Boston, do you feel buzzed tonight?” the two asked during the encore, a reference to their new tune “The Buzz,” which recently reached an astounding 1.5 million streams in the U.S. weekly. The duo’s most impressive effort, however, was their ability to come out from the traditional DJ setup and play their sampler and keyboard at the edge of the stage—thus actually interacting with fans, which can be a real rarity at electronic shows.

Ultimately, the show was a success for the two, who after twelve years of being together finally headlined a show—that also sold out—in Boston.