EDEN brings new sound, emotion to the Regency Ballroom

Minutes before the beginning of his highly anticipated performance, 22-year-old Jonathon Ng (stagename EDEN) quickly peaked his head out from backstage to see a sea of fans closely monitoring the stage for any movement.  Before he could again sneak out of sight, the sold-out crowd of 1,423 erupted into ecstatic cheers, eventually coalescing into a chant of “EDEN, EDEN, EDEN.”

Over the last three years, EDEN has built a loyal fan base around his unique blend of indie pop vocals, complex guitar riffs and heavy electronic basses and percussion.  After releasing two EPs in back to back years (End Credits in 2015 and i think you think too much of me in 2016), EDEN spent the majority of 2017 constructing his debut album, Vertigo (2018).  Unlike the previous EPs, Vertigo puts the upbeat percussion and expansive lead synths on the backburner in favor of a quieter, contemplative sound focused around Ng’s emotional voice and acoustic riffs.  

On March 13th, EDEN returned to San Francisco in support of his new sound.  Showing full commitment, he began his set with the first seven songs of Vertigo, playing them in sequence and culminating in the massive and emotional anthem “crash.”  EDEN’s production skills came to the forefront of the performance, as the sound system only amplified the warm basslines and sharp percussion that accompany most songs from the new album.  Songs such as “take care” and “icarus” gained a deeper driving force as the robust low frequencies rumbled throughout the hall. In “lost//found,” Ng finally stepped into the spotlight to sing the tear-jerking guitar ballad directly to every soul in the crowd.  

“Crash” marked the first point in the concert when EDEN shifted his vocals, using a combination of effects to turn his live vocals into an incredibly realistic female voice, one of the characteristic sounds of his new album.  Finally breaking from the album, EDEN played the first of three unreleased tracks on the night. Returning to Vertigo,“gold” came next, and Ng’s joy was palpable as he fingered each note from the catchy synth melody that accompanies the song’s chorus.  

Other highlights included the breakdown of “forever//over,” when the stage went completely dark before the female shifted vocals crooned “So please don’t fade me now” before the raucous kick-snare pattern and arpeggiating synth melody breathed new life into the room.  The third unreleased track of the night featured no vocals, and was more in line with The Eden Project’s (EDEN’s previous stage name) sound. Featuring a heavy kick drum and huge amounts of bass, the song bordered on dance music, and had the crowd in motion more than any other moment in the show.  The set included some fan favorites such as “Fumes,” (although without the feature from gnash), “End Credits” and “rock + roll,” but surprisingly omitted his two most streamed songs “Wake Up” and “drugs.”  It was clear that the performance was more than just an amalgamation of songs. Every song was carefully chosen to preserve the flow created through the album songs, as by the end of the night EDEN had played every song from Vertigo in order.

Although the show was scattered with incredible moments throughout the night, by far the most moving came with the ethereal performance of the album closer “falling in reverse.”

With a single spotlight coming from directly behind EDEN’s position at his keyboard, the telltale vocal sample and reversed synth pad slowly fade in and the crowd grows to a complete silence.  With only the outline of his head visible, Ng’s vocal rings out “So listen here, I’m the voice in your head.” Violins fade in above the dark piano chords as the emotional lyrics continue to tumble from Ng’s lips.  Just as the song begins to swell, it cuts down to only the vocal, “So just breathe, it’s almost over.” The song finally kicks into gear, with a heavy kick bringing a new rhythmic quality to the music as samples of glass shattering play over the piano melody and continued vocal. The elements begin to drop out, down to just a violin and piano as Ng cries, “And I’ll be there for you, when no one else cares,” before the song fades back into the reversed synth pad and the vocal sample returns, yelling, “Come on, what’s the big deal? Nobody’s that heartless!”

Written by Jacob Green