Alt-J’s Immersive Light and Sound at the Fox Theater

Alt-J performed an unforgettable show at their second of two consecutive shows at the Fox Theater in Oakland on March 24. The show was packed with audience members of all ages coming to hear their experimental sound in person. 

The band began their show with songs from their iconic album An Awesome Wave (2012), starting with “Bloodflood” and then one of their most famous hits, “Breezeblocks.” The audience swayed in unison, singing every word. The band did not engage with the audience through speeches, but they still managed to keep the audience hooked for the entire duration of the show with their intriguing sound and crazy light design.

While Alt-J was unable to execute the full production of some of their other shows because of the smaller size of the Fox Theater, the light design still blew the entire audience away, with oohs and awes filling the room everytime the lights changed. With intense reds and blues, as well as face-paced strobes and lasers, it was by far some of the coolest (and most challenging to photograph) of any light design I have seen. It was so grand and fast-paced that it was almost overwhelming. “In Cold Blood” had the most intense and engaging light design of the show.

To finish out the show, Alt-J performed their viral song “Left Hand Free,” released on their album This Is All Yours (2014). The song was popularized on the Netflix series Outer Banks, a Gen-Z favorite. All the college kids in the crowd lit up during the song. Alt-J ended on a strong note with “Left Hand Free,” but did not come back out for the encore, so the entire crowd exited the Fox at once.

Alt-J is a must-see artist for anyone who has not been to their live shows before. The immersive light and sound experience was unforgettable and unlike any concert I have seen.

      Article and Photos by Eliza Scheer