Since his last time playing in the Bay Area in May 2015, Flume fans have been patiently waiting for his return. This time, he exceeded the demand to see him by offering not one, not two, but three sold out shows to the San Francisco, Bay Area at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. It seemed like the question to ask was not who saw Flume play live, but who didn’t see him play during one of those three shows.
Coming along for the ride on his world tour were some friends that have supported him and opened for him at different stops. In San Francisco, up and coming artists/ DJs, Wave Racer, Shlomo, and Vince Staples joined him. It’s great that he lets them showcase their talents to his crowds, but everyone knows that they were really there waiting to see Flume. When the lights finally dimmed at 10:20 pm, you could feel the excitement in the air as people screamed and chanted, and the audience became nothing but a sea of white screens in the air waiting to record his arrival.
Finally, blue lights flickered with the beat of his opening song, Smoke & Retribution feat. Vince Staples & Kucka, off of his new album. From that point on, the whole crowd became one mass of energy that mimicked whatever sound Flume threw down. He had the ability to make the crowd close their eyes and wave their arms side-to-side one minute and seconds later transition it into a song that got the crowd banging their heads up and down. He also played a good mix of songs from his first 2012 album, his new 2016 album, as well as his best remixes.
One of the worst feelings you can have after a concert is when you paid a ton of money to hear one specific song and that song doesn’t get played. Flume did not leave anyone feeling that way; he played all of his old and new hits like “Never Be Like You”, “Holdin On”, “Sleepless”, and “Tennis Court.” His greatest visuals of the night belonged to the moving images of a man and woman kissing during “You and Me.” His one-year absence from the Bay Area was definitely worth the wait.