Chicago-based producer Ethan Snoreck, better known as Whethan, kicked it up a notch at The Warfield Thursday night. The 19-year-old DJ is nearing the end of his first headlining tour, Life of a Wallflower, right on the heels of the release of his single, “Radar” (feat. Honne) just a few weeks earlier.
The night started with opener Yoshi Flower. Yoshi’s crowd work and varied rock/pop/trap/everything-in-between sound kept everyone on their toes for the rest of the night. Yoshi was a natural with the crowd and truly seemed to care about his fans, making conversation throughout his set, and afterwards occasionally joining the crowd throughout the night to take selfies and give out hugs.
Following Yoshi was Louis Futon, who kept the upbeat energy with charismatic dance moves and a perfect blend of futuristic bass and hard trap. A master of flips, Louis Futon brought some of his best work, playing his flips from Chance The Rapper, Travis Scott, and Stranger Things alongside original songs like “Record” and “Surreal” that enlivened the crowd. The star of the show though, was Ariel Shrumpet, Louis Futon’s trumpet player. Shrumpet’s trumpet solos interspersed with Futon’s beats brought an unexpected but memorable experience to the stage.
By the time Whethan began his set, the crowd was packed and buzzing with excitement. Although Whethan didn’t interact much with the crowd, he catered to everyone’s sensibilities perfectly: there was high energy throughout as he played his top hits mixed in with freeform trap for his loyal long-time fans as psychedelic cinematic visuals lit up the screen in front of him. Highlights of the night included starting off with his hit single “High” with Dua Lipa, playing his new aforementioned song “Radar” (feat. Honne), as well as “Superlove” (feat. Oh Wonder), which was a crowd favorite—the walls trembled as everyone sang along in unison. Other classic hits like “Savage” (feat. Flux Pavilion) and “Falling” were incredible as well.
Whethan’s setup involved him behind a screen—that and his minimal crowd interactions made him seem practically behind-the-scenes. Although it would have been nice to see him jive with the crowd, his quieter stage presence allowed for his skillful production to speak for itself. Whethan doesn’t need crowd work or a hype man: his music is already incredible on its own.
Written and Photos by Yeeling Tse