Giraffage & XXYYXX: Show Review

Giraffage and XXYYXX are two of my all time favorite producers, so when I heard they were playing a show together Halloween weekend, I knew I had to get tickets ASAP. While the tone of night may not have gone as expected, I was pleasantly surprised by the difference between listening to Giraffage’s music pre-recorded and his live performance.

XXYYXX’s signature logo of a single tear drop created a minimalistic and mature mood that perfectly matched his beats. The 20-year-old producer mixed, mashed, and manipulated songs. XXYYXX’s set basically sounded like one long song, but in a good way. The DJ’s consistency and smooth transitions set him apart from the rest. Overall, XXYYXX had a great set.

Giraffage cheerfully bounced onto the stage in a Boy Scout costume, dressed perfectly for the occasion. While not everyone in the audience was dressed up since technically it wasn’t October 31, it was Halloween weekend, and the people that were dressed up definitely went all out. Giraffage incorporated spooky sounds and images throughout his set including high-pitched screeches, scary deep beats, and the ghost of Drake dancing in a graveyard. On top of that, he found a way to tastefully incorporate The Spice Girls, “Who Let the Dogs Out?”, and “Sandstorm,” alongside a solid amount of unexpected hard style as well. But the UC Berkley graduate didn’t forget to play any of his classics hits such as “Tell Me” and “Be With You” which brought a joyful response from the crowd. Giraffage’s carefree dance moves and overall sweet tone made the night feel super casual and intimate. But the best part of the night was definitely Giraffage’s visuals. I’ve never seen such creative, relevant, psychedelic visuals ever before at a show. I was entranced and consistently surprised by what was being shown onscreen. From dogs skateboarding to emojis to nature images, I really felt like I got some major insight into what’s going through Charlie Yin’s mind. 

NATALIE RAPHAEL, PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR