A hazy fog fills the room as Romy Croft, Jamie Smith, and Oliver Sim hit the stage at the Palace Theatre in downtown St. Paul. The English trio, better known as The xx, sold out the roughly 2,800 capacity venue in a matter of days and had fans eagerly anticipating this show for months. The newly opened Palace Theatre was the perfect space for their wide demographic, featuring a general admission floor as well as an ample balcony area, catering to fans young and old.
Producer and percussionist, Jamie Smith, also known as his solo DJ name, Jamie xx, stood atop a sizable riser, stacked with beat pads and drum sets with Croft and Sim posted in front. The two have a bit of a Lennon/McCartney dynamic as they trade off singing lead and background vocals. Croft’s breathy, soothing voice compliments Sim’s smooth, swaying vocals ideally and paired with Smith’s driving beats, The xx creates an truly unique sound.
The indie-rockers are in the middle of a massive world tour in promotion of their latest LP, I See You, which made up a majority of their eighteen-song setlist. Despite having relatively upbeat tempos, many of their songs have relatively gloomy lyrics that capture the reality of heartbreak.
The xx will continue touring until late September, hitting nearly every major festival around the world. Check out their latest music video for “Islands” here, and their SNL performance of “On Hold” here.
Setlist:
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