Photo by Finn Delisle

Words by Finn Delisle

Chicago’s genre-fluid visionary Dreamer Isioma transformed the Electric Ballroom into a warm, communal haze, getting the crowd moving with the dreamy pulse of ‘Born 2 Live’ as arms swayed in unison across the room. Bathed in soft light, Isioma’s presence felt effortlessly intimate; self-described as a “chill guy” who loves to “spread peace, love and positivity”, they set the tone for an evening rooted in connection and self-expression. Backed by Dante Swan on guitar, they played tracks like the more raw, stripped back ‘Valentina’, the infectious ‘Sensitive’, introduced with the lyric “bitches these days are so sensitive”, and even treated us to a new unreleased song ‘Smile’.

Cambridge-born indie artist Cavetown delivered a heartfelt, long-awaited headline set, finally taking to the Electric Ballroom stage after a pandemic delay, reflecting that once he finally played the room “the world would be more ‘normal’”. Opening with ‘Skip’ and ‘Cryptid’, both from his recent album ‘Running With Scissors’, he immediately drew fans in, as every soft lyric and swelling chorus met with unwavering devotion.

The set flowed between gentle intimacy and playful energy, with a mellow ‘worm food’ showing off his vocals, and a “little gentle one” about “missing someone a lot”, ‘wasabi’, prompted an emotional room-wide sway. Songs like ‘Green’ saw fans embracing each other, while “Cavetown classic” ‘Juliet’ turned the venue into a sea of moving arms. 

The closing run of favourites ‘Boys Will Be Bugs’, ‘This Is Home’, and ‘Devil Town’ hit with full force, backed by the band and some seriously impressive lighting design, with the crowd singing every word in unison. It was an ending that felt cathartic and quietly euphoric in its vulnerability. 

Photos by Finn Delisle