Photos by: Pahan Senevirathne
Words by: Lucinda Scott
Special thanks to Destroy All Lines
If you squeezed into the sold out 170 Russell on Thursday expecting a safe pop show, you were in the wrong place. LA based duo VOILÀ might have blown up online but the Magic Word tour proves that the live stage is where they really belong. Bringing their magician aesthetic to a packed room the pair delivered a set that felt less like a standard concert and more like interactive rock theatre.
First up was local favourite Yorke. While her music leans cinematic her live set has an edge that won over the early crowd. Tracks like Window Shopping hit heavy in the basement venue and her vocals were flawless. Her performance set the perfect tone for the night and ramped up the energy for the chaos that followed.
When VOILÀ hit the stage the room full of bunny ears and die hard fans erupted. The stakes were high with the band announcing multiple times that this was their biggest headline show ever and the energy in the room matched the milestone.
The chemistry between the two is instant. Luke Eisner is a towering figure straight out of a gothic novel commanding the stage with pure rockstar energy. Beside him Gus Ross held down the sound with vocals that cut through the chaos and hit way harder live than they do on the record.
For those skeptical of the pop tag live this band bites back. The drums were massive and the guitars were dialled up way past the record giving the tracks a jagged edge. The production was huge for a club show with enough CO2 cannons and sparklers to rival a festival stage. The visual chaos matched the sonic weight perfectly as Luke spent half the night on the barrier or leaning into the pit getting right in with the crowd.
The theatricality peaked when they pulled a fan onstage to draw a song from a hat. The luck of the draw led to a surprise performance of Beauty Sleep complete with a magic trick reveal that showed they knew exactly what was coming all along. It was a moment that blurred the line between a rock show and a magic act and the crowd ate it up.
High octane anthems like Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You and Drinking With Cupid had the floor shaking but they still found space for genuine connection on tracks like Therapy. They closed with Figure You Out leaving the sweaty crowd screaming the final chorus. VOILÀ have made the jump from viral sensation to touring powerhouse with a show that is theatrical and loud and unapologetically fun.
GALLERY
YORKE
VOILÀ
