Heading to the Echoplex this past Friday, the only exposure I had to the band I was covering was a YouTube clip and an email. The YouTube clip was riding 150,000+ views. The email included names like Cee-Lo, the Kaiser Chiefs and Don Letts calling on the band’s services. Still, going into the concert I had no idea what to expect from Esser, a solo project by former Ladyfuzz drummer Ben Esser.
It seems that English born Esser has taken his beat savvy, dance-rock skills into the world of electro pop and with very catchy results. The crowd for Esser’s set was thin as they were the first band to perform in a line-up of bands and DJ’s that included Thieves Like Us, Nightwaves, Kill The Synth, Short Circuit and Ben Oprstu. But the small band of fans in front of the stage steadily grew as their set went on.
No surprise though as Esser’s music is undeniably catchy. He trades his drum kit for a floor tom, synth and vocal duties. The products of these changes were songs that got stuck in your brain like a finallyfast.com commercial. When “Headlock” started up the air was full of screams from the crowd as Esser dove into his hypnotic, signature tune.
Sporting a different look from his days in Ladyfuzz, Esser took to the stage with a gravity defying pompadour. His shirt was decked out with palm trees that he called “Californian” and that the ladies in the crowd called to be taken off. His wit and on stage banter was that of a true showman.
His show at the Echoplex was Esser’s second to last stateside before he headed back to England to participate in the Glastonbury Festival and plan their next visit across the pond.
