Shrouded in a red haze, five men appear. One plays long, meditative notes on his saxophone over a drone of new age-y synth pads. The others wait in anticipation. A packed house feels even tighter as stragglers from the bar squeeze closer to the stage. Then, a few notes from a synth-drawn marimba signal that the beat is about to drop, and when it does, the whole room is moving.
This was not the same group I saw playing Michael Jackson covers on turntable decks six years ago. And as the night continued, Poolside showed why their infectious, chilled-out daytime disco not only deserves a live band, but easily wins over Santa Barbara, with so many local listeners the year-end Spotify Wrapped algorithm actually pegged their sound to the city. Front man Jeffrey Paradise mentioned as much to the cheering crowd, and my Poolside-loving friend laughingly fessed up to listening “most like Santa Barbara,” according to the streaming service’s data.
This foggy Friday night was Poolside’s third time at SOhO, and as the first stop of their month-long tour, they were refreshed and on form. Yet it’s hard to imagine these guys tiring out. From ultra-laidback beats like “I Wanna Kiss You Forever,” with its reggae rhythm guitar, marimba melody, falsetto harmonies and even sax man jumping on cowbell, to the encore of “Feel Your Weight,” an R&B cover that felt upbeat by comparison, Poolside keeps a measured, almost staid cool throughout their set.