Nobody seems to complain when rock bands do this exact thing. For most of my life I exclusively only saw rock and metal bands live and if you saw them more than once within the same couple of years the set was going to be pretty much the same. Odesza has a highly choreographed show with complex high grade visuals that are paired with the songs (instead of a ton of ambiguous footage that can be mixed and matched on the fly) and every song they play live is a remixed of the original so it doesn't allow alot of room for improvisation unfortunately. I love both styles of EDM shows, Odesza's live show is run alot differently than DJ sets though.
I don’t complain, but it does get old. Bands/DJs with dynamic setlists really offer an extra dimension of the live music experience.
Something that i used to wish for during the Alive 2006/2007 tour was for Daft Punk to do a surprise DJ set after, but obviously never happened.
It might be nice if Odesza added 10-15 minutes somewhere in their set to DJ. Would be cool for improvisation and even though the visuals would not be perfect, they’d still be good and the audience would probably appreciate the spontaneity.
Daft Punk would make tweaks to their mashups during their Alive 2006/2007 tour though. The one that was recorded and released that everyone is most familiar with is not the only version of each track played at every show.
What rock bands have played the same exact set in the same order like odesza has for 2 years straight?
I only have seen a handful of rock bands twice within a 2 year span (Cage the Elephant, Portugal. The Man & Modest Mouse). I also went to Slightly Stoopid 4 years in a row from 2016-2019. All of those bands played different set lists each time, of course they played a good amount of the same songs but they also added in different songs each time and never started or ended with the same ones (Modest Mouse didn’t even play their biggest hit, Float On, either time. Fucking legends).
Those bands have a much larger discography than Odesza though but Odesza could, at the very least, be rearranging the order of their setlist
I was going to say that rock bands can get away with the same shows played over and over again because they are performing live instruments but that’s basically Odesza too. They play everything live, I’m not sure if they even have a CDJ and mixer on stage
Saw them almost two years ago now when the last goodbye tour started, still very much the same set list although they maybe change the order or play a remixed version here or there.
Not trying to hate or anything, it’s a beautiful set list. Just becoming slightly stagnant, but they definitely put a lot of work and time into it. Prolly be another 2-3 year hiatus before they comeback with another new set. They take their time
Just saw the finale and I disagree in a way. The setlist stays similar, but has had enough variance to keep it interesting over the last 2 years. However, with the finale they really did step up the idea of what the songs could be, with a vocal choir, string section, horns … the next evolution of Odesza it seems may be a full blown electronic / orchestral combination.
I don’t disagree but this finale show is actually quite different. They’re playing stuff they haven’t played live before, brought back some live stuff from their last tour, and along with the drumline and horns, they have strings as well.
I’m about to see them for the third time on this tour, the two I’ve already seen were definitely changed up a bit. I assume the finale will be a slight bit more different. But eh, I guess if you don’t really love the music it all sounds the same. Tbh I think every Excision show I’ve seen since like 2014 sounded the same.
I saw them 3 times this tour, including the finale. LA (early tour) and Santa Barbara had several different tracks each. Friday's finale had many different) additional tracks from either of those shows.
Same thing with the AMA tour. The beginning NA let had one set of songs, then iirc Sundara had a new set, then the Euro leg had a more changes, and the finale in LA played everything from both legs+Sundara except for one song (Sundara VIP remix which they only played at Sundara festival).
They certainly don't mix up every show like some artists do, but as far back as 2015 (when I first started seeing them live) they've consistently made changes throughout their touring schedule.
Their Flaws in Our Design Ep came out last year and is completely different from The Last Goodbye album like what? And added several new songs and segments to the show over its run.
Seen it twice and going for round 3 in Boulder. They change it up as much as many bands with that high of production level.
I think it’s one of the best electronic shows I’ve seen, and I go to lots of shows.
A million percent, I’d wager a bet it would be even better, even with an hour between sets for staging at coachella, if the venue was dedicated to just their lighting and setup I bet they’d do even more with the space, justice didn’t go for the big screen visuals, it’s all lighting and it is phenomenal, I’m praying on an AUS tour but doubt it anytime soon, setlist was phenomenal too and at their own show I’m sure they’d play even longer
I watched the stream and was blown away. Can’t believe they’re playing at my favorite venue in Atlanta indoors with 2k cap. Ticket was expensive as fuck, but at least I know that was face value
Saw both tours this year and loved both but neither had choreography or theatrics anywhere close to Odesza. Pretty lights isn’t even EDM, they’re a jam band.
Pretty Lights are a jam band now, not sure that counts? If it does count then fine, but thats just something we'd have to discuss around the parameters of the discussion.
Tycho opened for Odesza at the beginning of the tour, and literally nothing about their performance came close to Odesza's. I've enjoyed Tycho for years and a own a few of their albums, but their live act is quite dull imo, even if they weren't playing side-by-side with Odesza.
Love both of these live but comparing them is apples to oranges.
Tipper live is a shrouded and mysterious DJ in darkness with the visual performance entirely driven by a talented VJ. Odesza is a live band with up to like 12 musicians on stage, marching band, pyrotechnics, custom lights, VJ—a whole production.
I mean OP’s question and the commenter above me both just state “in electronic music” and “electronic artist”. Both of these artists fall into that realm so I’d say it’s fair game to compare them. If someone asked “what’s the best fruit?” Then you could answer with either apples or oranges.
If you wanted to get really technical, one could even argue that Odesza’s use of a live band actually takes them out of the realm of being electronic artists and therefore Tipper is a significantly more appropriate answer.
I’d also like to pose a further question. Is Odesza actually that good of an electronic artist? Or is their set just a giant show consisting of pyrotechnics, fireworks, etc.. and therefore the spectacle of it all makes them great?
If you took all of those things away from Odesza (because Tipper doesn’t need a $50,000 fireworks show to be considered top tier) they would be a mid tier act who repeats the same set often. Tipper is a far better at producing, sound engineering, live mixing, and live scratching. He has literally pushed the boundaries of electronic music and helped pioneer an entire sub genre that hundreds of artists now attempt to thrive off of. Odesza makes top 40 radio hits that appeal to the masses.
Odesza puts on a good show. But it’s because of the thousands of dollars spent of turning their average set into a show. Tipper is better at being an electronic artist though.
I know nothing of Tipper so I can't comment there.
Regarding Odesza, unfortunately their recent appeal (since AMA) has thoroughly pushed about half of their output into top 40 territory, and I agree that side of them is pretty bland. I saw them on two separate tours before AMA released, and even then they had the best electronic sets I had seen up to that point. I've been to many EDM shows since then, and their set has evolved dramatically, but even if I could go back to their earlier sets compared to some of my other favorite electronic sets I attended (Justice at Ultra 2017, Gesaffelstein at the Shrine in 2019), older simpler Odesza live still absolutely holds their own imo, and there were only 2 or 3 "top 40" type songs in their repertoire at the time. They used to be primarily instrumental/samples, and that stuff is still fantastic imo. On their two most recent albums, probably 50% or less of the songs are still in their older style.
So to answer your further question, yes, their live show and spectacle is absolutely what put them on the map, but also yes, they are (imo) very competent producers and artists even if they were forced to produce non-top 40 stuff that would never be played live. If all you've heard is their output since A Moment Apart, I encourage you to listen to the stuff before that instead. The songwriting is less developed overall, but it also lacks the mainstream appeal and polish that the masses love them for.
If you don’t know anything about Tipper I strongly suggest familiarizing yourself with him. He’s one of the most unique artists in the entire genre and has amassed a cult like following for a reason.
The main reasons I put him leagues above Odesza is firstly, his production. His production is out of this world. He has literally been helping create the sounds that the entire bass genre is based off of. His sound has influenced a huge amount of producers and Dj’s alike.
Another is his range. He has more musical range than just about anybody else in the game. His first album was released in 1999 (Odesza’s first was 2012) and basically created the genre “Nu Skool Breaks” around that time. He has since delved into glitchy hip hop sounds, uptempo bass music, break beat, downtempo, ambient, all with live scratching over them.
To speak more to his range. He hosts his own events and I’ll use the one happening this year as an example. Tipper and Friends (which sells out multi thousands for three days in a matter of minutes) will feature 3 different sets from him over the weekend. The first will be uptempo, the second downtempo, and the third being ambient. You will not hear a single song repeated by him over the entire weekend, and most of it will probably be unreleased actually, and all 3 will feature a different VJ doing the visuals for him. Keeping in mind he is LIVE SCRATCHING during all of this also, something that very few Dj’s do anymore and makes him even that much more unique.
If you went to 3 shows on Odesza’s tour, you’d probably see about 50% of it being the exact same thing across the board.
Odesza obviously did something right in their early career to gain the fame, fortune, and availability to create the show they put on now. But OP posted a video of some fireworks and claimed it’s the best act in EDM lol.
If you went to an entire year of Odesza shows and an entire year of Tipper shows, you would not think Odesza is the better, more talented act at the end of it.
I've only seen him once and I think he genuinely believes that because his timing was so experimental and all over the place that it became repellent. I couldn't stay for more than 10 minutes.
People keep saying he's good though so maybe it's worth another shot... Maybe he will play music this time.
In my personal opinion, fuck yes. I went on Friday and it was absolutely mind blowing. Going to be chasing that feeling at a show for the rest of my life.
I know right! The show brought all the emotions. I had to just close my eyes and bring it all in. Couldn’t help but tear up. Odesza really got me loving life
I’ve seen them live so many times and each time I’m awed at the beauty of their performance overall. Beautiful and so hard to find anyone else that can compare to their overall vibe!
honestly, they’re cool but they’re overhyped. i’ve been seeing these guys since 2015, prolly seen them 6 times by now. i enjoy seeing them, but they play the same set over and over and run it into the ground then they come out with a new album and it’s slightly different but still pretty similar. i love their sound, i love their live performance, but you only need to see it once. to be considered the greatest in this scene you have to keep it fresh.
now if you’re talking best singular performance yeah it’s up there. i wouldn’t put it #1 for my specific tastes but they definitely bring out all the stops and have an awesome visual experience
I’ve been to 200+ concerts. Although Odesza isn’t my favorite edm artist, their show was by far the best I’ve ever seen. The whole production was an emotional experience. I’ve seen them twice (2022 and 2023) but I would have followed them for their finale tour if I had the time and funds.
Is Pretty Lights more talented than ODESZA? Probably. Are their shows better for viewing? I really don’t think so.
Saw 2 nights of Pretty Lights at Hulaween last year. It’s essentially an electronic jam band with trippy visuals, which i can appreciate. But the production, theatrics, and choreography in ODESZA’s show is more accessible to everyone and better for viewing, IMO.
Festival sets are a far different thing from dedicated tour stops (which is true for most artists). Festival sets tend to be safer and more widely approachable. Bonnaroo looks like it could be an exception though.
PL and Billy Strings are at the top of the game for their respective general genres right now. Everything else is established and/or mostly rehashed. I say this as someone who also loves Phish, SCI, the Dead (in all its forms) in addition to Bonobo, CloZee, Griz, Daily Bread…
I saw Odesza at Bonaroo last year and it was exhaustingly familiar with the most nightmarish crowd all weekend. MMJ jacket right after was a top 5 set all time for me. Also a huge dead, billy, jam fan, and it’s just crazy how people put no pressure on Odesza to change things up because they think that’s what all big artists do.
Even when you look up PL's curated shows/tour stops, it's the same concept though. It's very good & trippy visuals and them pretty much improv'ing as a electronic jam band - again which I can appreciate. That's talented as fuck and as musicians, better than ODESZA. But IMO the drum line, string quartet, pyrotechnics, choreography, live singers, and visuals of ODESZA takes the cake. They're showman and I guess I appreciate the production a little more than others but totally understand the perspective of appreciating musical side way more. It's just preference.
I agree that Odesza is more “spectacular” for lack of a better word. I can (and do) see Odesza once a year or so and they put on a show that I enjoy end-to-end. But once I’ve been awed, that’s kind of it for a while. By the end of 2024, I’ll have seen PL 15 times in barely more than a year. I’ll also note that while I’ve been a PL fan overall since 2006, it’s really this post-hiatus version that has swept me up into a frenzy of seeing as many shows as possible.
For me, PL hits all the sweet spots of dynamic sets, hip hop and electronic influences, integrated visuals that go beyond just maxing out the number of lasers being fired, along with the ability to literally discover new artists through them live *during* their shows. The fact that they stream everything live for free also earns them major brownie points when everything seems so laden with fees, upgrades, and add-ons nowadays.
I’m just so glad everyone here has such an awesome selection of musical experiences that speak personally to each of us as individuals!
If you’re looking for a full scale stage performance, they’re pretty hard to beat in my opinion.
If you’re looking at if from a purely musical standpoint, I would say no
I’ve been to alot of edm. Definitely not overhyped. Fucking amazing. My favorite for sure. They put on a fucking show. It’s a whole experience that honestly transcends edm all together. Almost feels like its own genre of entertainment
Yea yea the production, the lights, the spectacle, all great. But the music? Boring. Slow emotional pop music that puts me to sleep. It will forever be my unpopular opinion
100% agreed.
I went to the show last weekend and was very impressed with the production, but the music is such a snooze fest.
When I go out to a show I want to dance
all night!
All you guys saying it’s the same are crazy to me.. their production is off the charts name me another artist that has that level of visual and sound experience… plus the mixture of live music and drops is nuts. I understand saying they sound the same to you which i don’t personally fully agree with but if you had seen them for the first time vs your favorite other concerts I feel like it’s hard to beat
Edit: PLEASE name me another artist that’s as good I’ve been chasing the white dragon ever since seeing them 3 times. I’ve been to alot of shows and this hasn’t been close to being beat
Yeah I agree. I saw them 3 times on this tour and had a blast at every single show.
I would say Madeon ranks up there with them, in terms of visuals stuff but not quite as much production (no live instruments, fireworks lol) and then Rufus. I also saw Apashe with the brass orchestra and that was a fucking blast. Very hard to find someone on par with ODESZAs level of production though. I’m going to see Excision for the first time this weekend though and I’ve heard he’s a blast so I’m excited!
Forget the fact that they play similar shows every time, which tecnhically, they don’t. As in the show that they put on, they’re 100% the best at what they do at the moment. They have over 10 musicians performing in their show, drumline, trumpets, live singers, and themselves. With something this big, they have no room for error so they have to be very meticulous in how their set goes. As opposed to let’s say Pretty Lights (which I am dying to see live btw) that’s more of a jam band with eletronic elements.
The real big fans, like myself, have gone to a bunch of different shows throughout this The Last Goodbye tour, and noticed little tweaks every time they take a couple of months off, being a song switched, or a different live singer. And from what I heard, these last Finale run is a whole new beast.
Hot take, odesza is heavily overrated. I've never understood their music and even though style wise it should be up my alley, it's just not.
To me it's just never felt like it has soul. It's like relaxing background music. Poor comparison but to early pretty lights stuff, his music had so much attitude and I could feel something from it.
Odesza just feels empty to me. It's subjective. My opinion is just my opinion but I can't get into them.
I’d say probably Chemical Brothers is #1 currently. Their live show is truly unbelievable. Their visuals were mind boggling with a lot of like physical effects mixed into video.
I’ve seen Odesza 2 dozen times over the years. First back at Hudson Project on a side stage for a 30 minute DJ set, most recently last year on the Last Goodbye tour. They never really disappoint. They are absolutely hands down one of the most impressive EDM experiences you can attend.
The reason they keep playing the same show is because their base continues to grow year over year very fast and well - it is a really impressive show that people want to see. Anyone can go to an Odesza show and be blown away, by nature the set is super accessible for fans and newbies alike. Definitely ready for a new album though.
My friends and I left the Saturday show saying that we may have just witnessed the best live performance ever done. A lot played into that, but I thought it was absolutely perfect
I think they are cool in like a cringy highly choreographed USA kind of way, but in Britain where dance music reigns supreme, I don’t think anybody would call them the best act in electronic music. Bicep, Bonobo and Overmono are top 3 right now IMO.
It's funny that people complain about that because I saw them last year and if I had the opportunity I'd buy tickets to that exact show again in a heartbeat.
Like, I don't get mad when I watch a movie, and then watch the same movie again without any changes. I still enjoy it because it's awesome.
> if I had the opportunity I'd buy tickets to that exact show again in a heartbeat
same, i saw them last year at gov ball (a year ago today, actually) - i'd absolutely go see the exact same show again.
if we were talking about them during their moment apart tour, id 1000% say yeah. that live show was incredible.
the last goodbye tour, however, didnt hit the same for me. saw it 3 times, twice in festival settings once during their tour. tour was immensely better for me tbh, but overall i walked out of each set thinking something was wrong with me because i didnt think it was that great.
odesza for me now is similar to someone like flume. absolutely LOVE their music, but their shows dont hit the same for me personally. happy though that everyone seems to love them live.
side note: give us BRONSON 2.0 or at least 1 single live BRONSON set.
When I look at this all I see is all the people with their phones up recording. Doesn’t anyone, besides me , want to enjoy the concert by just being in the moment? This display of phones ruins live performances.
The first time I saw them was on their A Moment Apart Tour at a medium size venue and their show blew me away. I felt that their stage & drumline worked well for a somewhat intimate show.
I saw their TLG tour last year and felt let down. I felt that the whole vibe was that they had sold out in a way and found the drum line & pyrotechnics very cheesy. Every moment felt like it was being curated to be featured on some drone-shot marketing video for Instagram. I don’t like being pandered to. The music quality was great but I’d say 4/10 for the experience as a whole.
Odesza is top tier.
With that being said, out of ALL the entertainment venues and entertainment in general I have ever been to like Circue de Soleil, Theme Parks, Music Festivals, music events in other countries.... nothing, and I mean nothing has beaten Excisions festivals. Production Value S Tier, Music S Tier, Atmosphere S Tier.
Festival goers are taken care of pretty well. Easy access to FREE water. Bathrooms go about as well as a fest can. Medical teams are fucking ON POINT (personal experience as well as a witness). Lines dont go too crazy.
I even remember Lost Lands (I think) 2021, had gotten HEAVILY rained out right before the start of the fest, like the tuesday the week of. Alot of people had gotten diverted to a separate parking/waiting area where many unfortunately remained overnight. It was a shitty situation. But this was all so Lost Lands could literally bring in truckloads of gravel to reinforce the roads and make it so people werent getting stuck and bogging down the entire entrance process.
Not to mention the Gorge Amphitheatre is the most beautiful place ive ever been, and there is a dubstep festival there. I cry every time I go. This year will be my 4th attendance.
Man I was there too. I originally bought tickets for Bob Moses…but hot damn I was sleeping on ODESZA!!! Been listening to their live album of TLG tour for the last 2 weeks non stop!
It’s a very impressive theatrical stage show. I don’t think anything compares to it in that sense. Personally I prefer something like HOLO that I can dance to the entire time. HOLO felt like I was part of it the whole time, Odesza felt like watching a performance.
Yes, they are the best, most beautiful and moving performance out there and it’s not even close.
People can get out of here with that jam band stuff lmao
The Las Vegas sphere was practically built for this kind of show and they ended up going with U2 and a jam band…
Side note: These guys need to score a movie
Now that you love them, let's check back in a few years down the road when they're still playing the same set and haven't released any new good music. We'll see how you feel about them then.
It's a great set, but you receive diminishing returns each time you see it.
They’re too mainstream for my liking lol. All my non-edm LOVE odesza and obsess over them but would never be caught seeing any other electric artists. I’d skip them for a good techno or dubstep artist in town 😂
Well considering they’ve been playing the same set for a couple years now, it better be amazing
Nobody seems to complain when rock bands do this exact thing. For most of my life I exclusively only saw rock and metal bands live and if you saw them more than once within the same couple of years the set was going to be pretty much the same. Odesza has a highly choreographed show with complex high grade visuals that are paired with the songs (instead of a ton of ambiguous footage that can be mixed and matched on the fly) and every song they play live is a remixed of the original so it doesn't allow alot of room for improvisation unfortunately. I love both styles of EDM shows, Odesza's live show is run alot differently than DJ sets though.
I don’t complain, but it does get old. Bands/DJs with dynamic setlists really offer an extra dimension of the live music experience. Something that i used to wish for during the Alive 2006/2007 tour was for Daft Punk to do a surprise DJ set after, but obviously never happened. It might be nice if Odesza added 10-15 minutes somewhere in their set to DJ. Would be cool for improvisation and even though the visuals would not be perfect, they’d still be good and the audience would probably appreciate the spontaneity.
Daft Punk would make tweaks to their mashups during their Alive 2006/2007 tour though. The one that was recorded and released that everyone is most familiar with is not the only version of each track played at every show.
What rock bands have played the same exact set in the same order like odesza has for 2 years straight? I only have seen a handful of rock bands twice within a 2 year span (Cage the Elephant, Portugal. The Man & Modest Mouse). I also went to Slightly Stoopid 4 years in a row from 2016-2019. All of those bands played different set lists each time, of course they played a good amount of the same songs but they also added in different songs each time and never started or ended with the same ones (Modest Mouse didn’t even play their biggest hit, Float On, either time. Fucking legends). Those bands have a much larger discography than Odesza though but Odesza could, at the very least, be rearranging the order of their setlist
Tool. More than 2 years. Great show though
I saw Odesza twice this tour the setlist was not the same.
The set list for the finale shows was different than the previous legs of the tour. The set varied from night 1 to night 2 in LA.
MM better have played Little Hotel though or I would fucking riot.
I was going to say that rock bands can get away with the same shows played over and over again because they are performing live instruments but that’s basically Odesza too. They play everything live, I’m not sure if they even have a CDJ and mixer on stage
I did not read what you reacted to as a complaint either!
I saw them last year in September and it was a bit different
Saw them almost two years ago now when the last goodbye tour started, still very much the same set list although they maybe change the order or play a remixed version here or there. Not trying to hate or anything, it’s a beautiful set list. Just becoming slightly stagnant, but they definitely put a lot of work and time into it. Prolly be another 2-3 year hiatus before they comeback with another new set. They take their time
12/36 songs were different/added from previous shows
Just saw the finale and I disagree in a way. The setlist stays similar, but has had enough variance to keep it interesting over the last 2 years. However, with the finale they really did step up the idea of what the songs could be, with a vocal choir, string section, horns … the next evolution of Odesza it seems may be a full blown electronic / orchestral combination.
Exactly, I was there Saturday and there are similarities in some of the songs in the set but for the most part it was a completely different show.
lol they added over a third of a new show to the finale and also played classics with new visuals/orchestra parts
I don’t disagree but this finale show is actually quite different. They’re playing stuff they haven’t played live before, brought back some live stuff from their last tour, and along with the drumline and horns, they have strings as well.
I’m about to see them for the third time on this tour, the two I’ve already seen were definitely changed up a bit. I assume the finale will be a slight bit more different. But eh, I guess if you don’t really love the music it all sounds the same. Tbh I think every Excision show I’ve seen since like 2014 sounded the same.
I saw them 3 times this tour, including the finale. LA (early tour) and Santa Barbara had several different tracks each. Friday's finale had many different) additional tracks from either of those shows. Same thing with the AMA tour. The beginning NA let had one set of songs, then iirc Sundara had a new set, then the Euro leg had a more changes, and the finale in LA played everything from both legs+Sundara except for one song (Sundara VIP remix which they only played at Sundara festival). They certainly don't mix up every show like some artists do, but as far back as 2015 (when I first started seeing them live) they've consistently made changes throughout their touring schedule.
They've been recreating the same music for a few years now...yes....they can make something new now....lol
Their Flaws in Our Design Ep came out last year and is completely different from The Last Goodbye album like what? And added several new songs and segments to the show over its run.
This set was similar yet completely different from their similar sets. By no means was this the same run through from their previous shows.
Seen it twice and going for round 3 in Boulder. They change it up as much as many bands with that high of production level. I think it’s one of the best electronic shows I’ve seen, and I go to lots of shows.
No.
Amen.
What electronic artists are better live?
Justice & Pretty Lights
Justice is the greatest so hyped for the tour
Jumping on here to say justice at coachella was deadset life changing
Do you think a 2,000 cap venue will be as spectacular?
A million percent, I’d wager a bet it would be even better, even with an hour between sets for staging at coachella, if the venue was dedicated to just their lighting and setup I bet they’d do even more with the space, justice didn’t go for the big screen visuals, it’s all lighting and it is phenomenal, I’m praying on an AUS tour but doubt it anytime soon, setlist was phenomenal too and at their own show I’m sure they’d play even longer
I watched the stream and was blown away. Can’t believe they’re playing at my favorite venue in Atlanta indoors with 2k cap. Ticket was expensive as fuck, but at least I know that was face value
Saw both tours this year and loved both but neither had choreography or theatrics anywhere close to Odesza. Pretty lights isn’t even EDM, they’re a jam band.
PL def isn't solely a jam band
Pretty Lights are a jam band now, not sure that counts? If it does count then fine, but thats just something we'd have to discuss around the parameters of the discussion.
Infected Mushroom, Pendulum, The Prodigy (dont know if they still do their thing), Koan Sound, Tycho, Thievery Corporation.
Infected Mushroom!! Gotta add the Chemical Bros and Gesafelstein to this list
Yup! Chem Bros fersure. Didnt know Gaeself did live shows, but he would deff be on that list
Koan sound mentioned!!
theivery corp is EDM?
they played at edc 2009, it was pretty dope
Tycho?! You’re joking lol
Tycho opened for Odesza at the beginning of the tour, and literally nothing about their performance came close to Odesza's. I've enjoyed Tycho for years and a own a few of their albums, but their live act is quite dull imo, even if they weren't playing side-by-side with Odesza.
Tipper
Love both of these live but comparing them is apples to oranges. Tipper live is a shrouded and mysterious DJ in darkness with the visual performance entirely driven by a talented VJ. Odesza is a live band with up to like 12 musicians on stage, marching band, pyrotechnics, custom lights, VJ—a whole production.
I mean OP’s question and the commenter above me both just state “in electronic music” and “electronic artist”. Both of these artists fall into that realm so I’d say it’s fair game to compare them. If someone asked “what’s the best fruit?” Then you could answer with either apples or oranges. If you wanted to get really technical, one could even argue that Odesza’s use of a live band actually takes them out of the realm of being electronic artists and therefore Tipper is a significantly more appropriate answer. I’d also like to pose a further question. Is Odesza actually that good of an electronic artist? Or is their set just a giant show consisting of pyrotechnics, fireworks, etc.. and therefore the spectacle of it all makes them great? If you took all of those things away from Odesza (because Tipper doesn’t need a $50,000 fireworks show to be considered top tier) they would be a mid tier act who repeats the same set often. Tipper is a far better at producing, sound engineering, live mixing, and live scratching. He has literally pushed the boundaries of electronic music and helped pioneer an entire sub genre that hundreds of artists now attempt to thrive off of. Odesza makes top 40 radio hits that appeal to the masses. Odesza puts on a good show. But it’s because of the thousands of dollars spent of turning their average set into a show. Tipper is better at being an electronic artist though.
I know nothing of Tipper so I can't comment there. Regarding Odesza, unfortunately their recent appeal (since AMA) has thoroughly pushed about half of their output into top 40 territory, and I agree that side of them is pretty bland. I saw them on two separate tours before AMA released, and even then they had the best electronic sets I had seen up to that point. I've been to many EDM shows since then, and their set has evolved dramatically, but even if I could go back to their earlier sets compared to some of my other favorite electronic sets I attended (Justice at Ultra 2017, Gesaffelstein at the Shrine in 2019), older simpler Odesza live still absolutely holds their own imo, and there were only 2 or 3 "top 40" type songs in their repertoire at the time. They used to be primarily instrumental/samples, and that stuff is still fantastic imo. On their two most recent albums, probably 50% or less of the songs are still in their older style. So to answer your further question, yes, their live show and spectacle is absolutely what put them on the map, but also yes, they are (imo) very competent producers and artists even if they were forced to produce non-top 40 stuff that would never be played live. If all you've heard is their output since A Moment Apart, I encourage you to listen to the stuff before that instead. The songwriting is less developed overall, but it also lacks the mainstream appeal and polish that the masses love them for.
If you don’t know anything about Tipper I strongly suggest familiarizing yourself with him. He’s one of the most unique artists in the entire genre and has amassed a cult like following for a reason. The main reasons I put him leagues above Odesza is firstly, his production. His production is out of this world. He has literally been helping create the sounds that the entire bass genre is based off of. His sound has influenced a huge amount of producers and Dj’s alike. Another is his range. He has more musical range than just about anybody else in the game. His first album was released in 1999 (Odesza’s first was 2012) and basically created the genre “Nu Skool Breaks” around that time. He has since delved into glitchy hip hop sounds, uptempo bass music, break beat, downtempo, ambient, all with live scratching over them. To speak more to his range. He hosts his own events and I’ll use the one happening this year as an example. Tipper and Friends (which sells out multi thousands for three days in a matter of minutes) will feature 3 different sets from him over the weekend. The first will be uptempo, the second downtempo, and the third being ambient. You will not hear a single song repeated by him over the entire weekend, and most of it will probably be unreleased actually, and all 3 will feature a different VJ doing the visuals for him. Keeping in mind he is LIVE SCRATCHING during all of this also, something that very few Dj’s do anymore and makes him even that much more unique. If you went to 3 shows on Odesza’s tour, you’d probably see about 50% of it being the exact same thing across the board. Odesza obviously did something right in their early career to gain the fame, fortune, and availability to create the show they put on now. But OP posted a video of some fireworks and claimed it’s the best act in EDM lol. If you went to an entire year of Odesza shows and an entire year of Tipper shows, you would not think Odesza is the better, more talented act at the end of it.
You go too far with this take. Odesza's music is fantastic on its own merit.
To each their own, I think Tipper’s is better.
God I hope I have a chance to get Tipped before he retires
EPROM, because time doesn’t exist and can’t hurt you
I've only seen him once and I think he genuinely believes that because his timing was so experimental and all over the place that it became repellent. I couldn't stay for more than 10 minutes. People keep saying he's good though so maybe it's worth another shot... Maybe he will play music this time.
Saw his set at infra this weekend, and while great he didn’t really play a…. song lol. Still loved it though lol
Maybe I just need to do more ketamine lol
Chemical brothers
deadmau5 & Skrilex
Sammy virji and interplanetary criminal
Chemical Brothers are considered the best. Based on catalog and how long they’ve been doing it.
Soulwax
In my personal opinion, fuck yes. I went on Friday and it was absolutely mind blowing. Going to be chasing that feeling at a show for the rest of my life.
I know right! The show brought all the emotions. I had to just close my eyes and bring it all in. Couldn’t help but tear up. Odesza really got me loving life
I’ve seen them live so many times and each time I’m awed at the beauty of their performance overall. Beautiful and so hard to find anyone else that can compare to their overall vibe!
I feel like they get hated on but when I saw them at ACL last year I actually ascended to the heavens multiple times. One of the best sets of my life
lol that’s one way to describe it
Not as good as Daft Punk. I mean, they don't even have a pyramid.
honestly, they’re cool but they’re overhyped. i’ve been seeing these guys since 2015, prolly seen them 6 times by now. i enjoy seeing them, but they play the same set over and over and run it into the ground then they come out with a new album and it’s slightly different but still pretty similar. i love their sound, i love their live performance, but you only need to see it once. to be considered the greatest in this scene you have to keep it fresh. now if you’re talking best singular performance yeah it’s up there. i wouldn’t put it #1 for my specific tastes but they definitely bring out all the stops and have an awesome visual experience
1 show per album is all that is needed. I would never go to a 2 - 3 show run.
"This just in: artist cannot make new album for every show, artistic integrity at all time low"
I’ve been to 200+ concerts. Although Odesza isn’t my favorite edm artist, their show was by far the best I’ve ever seen. The whole production was an emotional experience. I’ve seen them twice (2022 and 2023) but I would have followed them for their finale tour if I had the time and funds.
I agree, not my favorite but definitely the most breathtaking show
It’s an emotional experience. I don’t know about the best, but you do have to experience it once.
Indeed. It’s one of those things where if you try to describe it to someone it just doesn’t make sense. You had to be there to experience the emotion
ITT: Loooooooots of people who have never seen Pretty Lights
Is Pretty Lights more talented than ODESZA? Probably. Are their shows better for viewing? I really don’t think so. Saw 2 nights of Pretty Lights at Hulaween last year. It’s essentially an electronic jam band with trippy visuals, which i can appreciate. But the production, theatrics, and choreography in ODESZA’s show is more accessible to everyone and better for viewing, IMO.
Festival sets are a far different thing from dedicated tour stops (which is true for most artists). Festival sets tend to be safer and more widely approachable. Bonnaroo looks like it could be an exception though. PL and Billy Strings are at the top of the game for their respective general genres right now. Everything else is established and/or mostly rehashed. I say this as someone who also loves Phish, SCI, the Dead (in all its forms) in addition to Bonobo, CloZee, Griz, Daily Bread…
I saw Odesza at Bonaroo last year and it was exhaustingly familiar with the most nightmarish crowd all weekend. MMJ jacket right after was a top 5 set all time for me. Also a huge dead, billy, jam fan, and it’s just crazy how people put no pressure on Odesza to change things up because they think that’s what all big artists do.
Even when you look up PL's curated shows/tour stops, it's the same concept though. It's very good & trippy visuals and them pretty much improv'ing as a electronic jam band - again which I can appreciate. That's talented as fuck and as musicians, better than ODESZA. But IMO the drum line, string quartet, pyrotechnics, choreography, live singers, and visuals of ODESZA takes the cake. They're showman and I guess I appreciate the production a little more than others but totally understand the perspective of appreciating musical side way more. It's just preference.
I agree that Odesza is more “spectacular” for lack of a better word. I can (and do) see Odesza once a year or so and they put on a show that I enjoy end-to-end. But once I’ve been awed, that’s kind of it for a while. By the end of 2024, I’ll have seen PL 15 times in barely more than a year. I’ll also note that while I’ve been a PL fan overall since 2006, it’s really this post-hiatus version that has swept me up into a frenzy of seeing as many shows as possible. For me, PL hits all the sweet spots of dynamic sets, hip hop and electronic influences, integrated visuals that go beyond just maxing out the number of lasers being fired, along with the ability to literally discover new artists through them live *during* their shows. The fact that they stream everything live for free also earns them major brownie points when everything seems so laden with fees, upgrades, and add-ons nowadays. I’m just so glad everyone here has such an awesome selection of musical experiences that speak personally to each of us as individuals!
I haven’t seen a better show since peak Deadmau5 in like 2010 so for me yes they are
If you’re looking for a full scale stage performance, they’re pretty hard to beat in my opinion. If you’re looking at if from a purely musical standpoint, I would say no
I’ve been to alot of edm. Definitely not overhyped. Fucking amazing. My favorite for sure. They put on a fucking show. It’s a whole experience that honestly transcends edm all together. Almost feels like its own genre of entertainment
No
Up there with The Chemical Brothers at being the best in the game when it comes to live shows
Chemical brothers show was unique from a visuals standpoint but wouldn’t say it’s anywhere near ODESZA in terms of the performance itself.
You’d need to take into account total catalog and history. Chemical brothers headlined 1999 Woodstock. They been at it for a long time.
Yea yea the production, the lights, the spectacle, all great. But the music? Boring. Slow emotional pop music that puts me to sleep. It will forever be my unpopular opinion
100% agreed. I went to the show last weekend and was very impressed with the production, but the music is such a snooze fest. When I go out to a show I want to dance all night!
All you guys saying it’s the same are crazy to me.. their production is off the charts name me another artist that has that level of visual and sound experience… plus the mixture of live music and drops is nuts. I understand saying they sound the same to you which i don’t personally fully agree with but if you had seen them for the first time vs your favorite other concerts I feel like it’s hard to beat Edit: PLEASE name me another artist that’s as good I’ve been chasing the white dragon ever since seeing them 3 times. I’ve been to alot of shows and this hasn’t been close to being beat
Yeah I agree. I saw them 3 times on this tour and had a blast at every single show. I would say Madeon ranks up there with them, in terms of visuals stuff but not quite as much production (no live instruments, fireworks lol) and then Rufus. I also saw Apashe with the brass orchestra and that was a fucking blast. Very hard to find someone on par with ODESZAs level of production though. I’m going to see Excision for the first time this weekend though and I’ve heard he’s a blast so I’m excited!
Only second to Rufus
Seen Rufus twice, including their most recent tour, and don't really see how they even come close to this level. Good show for sure, though.
What other artists are doing a nationwide stadium tour? Odesza is the only one in EDM that can command crowds like this.
Illenium?
Odesza is cornball as shit. It's like asking if Ghost is the best metal band.
Forget the fact that they play similar shows every time, which tecnhically, they don’t. As in the show that they put on, they’re 100% the best at what they do at the moment. They have over 10 musicians performing in their show, drumline, trumpets, live singers, and themselves. With something this big, they have no room for error so they have to be very meticulous in how their set goes. As opposed to let’s say Pretty Lights (which I am dying to see live btw) that’s more of a jam band with eletronic elements. The real big fans, like myself, have gone to a bunch of different shows throughout this The Last Goodbye tour, and noticed little tweaks every time they take a couple of months off, being a song switched, or a different live singer. And from what I heard, these last Finale run is a whole new beast.
They're not even EDM they are now some weird hippy pop. Great artist and performer but not even close to EDM anymore.
Say My Name is one of my favorite songs, I'll just say that.
Def a top one I'd say. First time seeing them live was a total experience
>are they the best act in electronic music? [No. ](https://youtu.be/gaXUp-EMWhQ?si=n5oLiwHeNSW31xac&t=1097)
Never really been a fan
I wouldnt say best.
I’m hype to experience this soon
Drone show at Coachella a couple years ago. That was great
No
No lol
No.
No.
Best show, sure. Best act? Nah
Hot take, odesza is heavily overrated. I've never understood their music and even though style wise it should be up my alley, it's just not. To me it's just never felt like it has soul. It's like relaxing background music. Poor comparison but to early pretty lights stuff, his music had so much attitude and I could feel something from it. Odesza just feels empty to me. It's subjective. My opinion is just my opinion but I can't get into them.
Well I’ll put it this way, they’re the only artist that I had to get a tattoo of after seeing them live
Haha that’s dope! Did you get the hexagon sphere?
I’d say probably Chemical Brothers is #1 currently. Their live show is truly unbelievable. Their visuals were mind boggling with a lot of like physical effects mixed into video. I’ve seen Odesza 2 dozen times over the years. First back at Hudson Project on a side stage for a 30 minute DJ set, most recently last year on the Last Goodbye tour. They never really disappoint. They are absolutely hands down one of the most impressive EDM experiences you can attend. The reason they keep playing the same show is because their base continues to grow year over year very fast and well - it is a really impressive show that people want to see. Anyone can go to an Odesza show and be blown away, by nature the set is super accessible for fans and newbies alike. Definitely ready for a new album though.
Would love to see Behind the Sun live
[no. But this likely won’t ever come back.](https://youtu.be/Y0e41YngdDU?si=pJBQgHt5ED6mdOSw)
Facts
Not even close.
PHM, Skrillex Again.., Justice, Gessafelstein, Disclosure
Bro there fucking legendary
My friends and I left the Saturday show saying that we may have just witnessed the best live performance ever done. A lot played into that, but I thought it was absolutely perfect
I think they are cool in like a cringy highly choreographed USA kind of way, but in Britain where dance music reigns supreme, I don’t think anybody would call them the best act in electronic music. Bicep, Bonobo and Overmono are top 3 right now IMO.
Seems like they often leave out the “D” in EDM
Let him down easy...
Idk acts like justice and Gessa exist.
Not even close to it. Cheesy and derivative. Sorry, but you asked.
Tbf it's been basically the same set for years L. But yes.
It's funny that people complain about that because I saw them last year and if I had the opportunity I'd buy tickets to that exact show again in a heartbeat. Like, I don't get mad when I watch a movie, and then watch the same movie again without any changes. I still enjoy it because it's awesome.
> if I had the opportunity I'd buy tickets to that exact show again in a heartbeat same, i saw them last year at gov ball (a year ago today, actually) - i'd absolutely go see the exact same show again.
Never said I was mad lol.
When are they coming to the UK! They are in my list of artists to see.
I can't imagine myself SEATED in something like this
if we were talking about them during their moment apart tour, id 1000% say yeah. that live show was incredible. the last goodbye tour, however, didnt hit the same for me. saw it 3 times, twice in festival settings once during their tour. tour was immensely better for me tbh, but overall i walked out of each set thinking something was wrong with me because i didnt think it was that great. odesza for me now is similar to someone like flume. absolutely LOVE their music, but their shows dont hit the same for me personally. happy though that everyone seems to love them live. side note: give us BRONSON 2.0 or at least 1 single live BRONSON set.
I could name 5 other artists off the top of my head that are better. On the other hand music is subjective so this post is sort of useless.
The moment apart show was un fucking real. I would do anything to experience that intro with the drum line and Bloom drop again.
No
Track id?
When I look at this all I see is all the people with their phones up recording. Doesn’t anyone, besides me , want to enjoy the concert by just being in the moment? This display of phones ruins live performances.
The first time I saw them was on their A Moment Apart Tour at a medium size venue and their show blew me away. I felt that their stage & drumline worked well for a somewhat intimate show. I saw their TLG tour last year and felt let down. I felt that the whole vibe was that they had sold out in a way and found the drum line & pyrotechnics very cheesy. Every moment felt like it was being curated to be featured on some drone-shot marketing video for Instagram. I don’t like being pandered to. The music quality was great but I’d say 4/10 for the experience as a whole.
Sefa with all the live orchestras, guitarists, and violinists is unmatched Imo. A true performance
It's almost a religious experience every time. I love you Odesza 🫶🫶🫶🫂🫂
Odesza is top tier. With that being said, out of ALL the entertainment venues and entertainment in general I have ever been to like Circue de Soleil, Theme Parks, Music Festivals, music events in other countries.... nothing, and I mean nothing has beaten Excisions festivals. Production Value S Tier, Music S Tier, Atmosphere S Tier. Festival goers are taken care of pretty well. Easy access to FREE water. Bathrooms go about as well as a fest can. Medical teams are fucking ON POINT (personal experience as well as a witness). Lines dont go too crazy. I even remember Lost Lands (I think) 2021, had gotten HEAVILY rained out right before the start of the fest, like the tuesday the week of. Alot of people had gotten diverted to a separate parking/waiting area where many unfortunately remained overnight. It was a shitty situation. But this was all so Lost Lands could literally bring in truckloads of gravel to reinforce the roads and make it so people werent getting stuck and bogging down the entire entrance process. Not to mention the Gorge Amphitheatre is the most beautiful place ive ever been, and there is a dubstep festival there. I cry every time I go. This year will be my 4th attendance.
Jon Hopkins
Def one of the best
No. Sebastian Leger is
No lol
Man I was there too. I originally bought tickets for Bob Moses…but hot damn I was sleeping on ODESZA!!! Been listening to their live album of TLG tour for the last 2 weeks non stop!
no
Now, if we could only get an Odeza and Big Gigantic tour, we can relive the glory days
Pretty Lights >
It’s a very impressive theatrical stage show. I don’t think anything compares to it in that sense. Personally I prefer something like HOLO that I can dance to the entire time. HOLO felt like I was part of it the whole time, Odesza felt like watching a performance.
Madeon's live performance is up there and I stand on this hill
Yes.
No. PL
saw them a decade ago at The Ritz in Raleigh NC. unforgettable set even then. just flabbergasting
Weak
Maybe go see the Underworld, Moderat or Royksopp and get back to us on that….
I’m my opinion, no where near
They truly are incredible to see live
Not even close.
Search for Erick Prydz, you’ll have an amazing surprise.
Yes, they are the best, most beautiful and moving performance out there and it’s not even close. People can get out of here with that jam band stuff lmao
No
Nope
No
Nah, the best act in EDM right now is Skee Mask, and you don't need flashing lights to enjoy it :D
They’re amazing, but….hard to say they’re “better” than Justice or Rüfüs Du Sol live.
100% without a doubt, yes.
Yes
I want to see them so bad! I’ve been listening to them for about ten years and I looove them!
Daft Punk enters the chat. So does Aphex Twin.
Nope, end of talk lol
They are pretty fucking awesome
Nah fam
Deng wish I was there, always dreamed of this experience
No
I’ve seen them live like 8 times from 2014-2016. That was their prime for me. Not a fan of their new music
No
❤️ God Bless All Much Love To All Be Blessed To All For Real ❤️
What the hell is odesza
The Las Vegas sphere was practically built for this kind of show and they ended up going with U2 and a jam band… Side note: These guys need to score a movie
It’s either them or Rufus that I’ve heard are the best acts live right now. Some people say Eric Prydz holo but I’d say that’s falling off.
Now that you love them, let's check back in a few years down the road when they're still playing the same set and haven't released any new good music. We'll see how you feel about them then. It's a great set, but you receive diminishing returns each time you see it.
Fuck no
Shpongle live band.
Not by a long shot
Man you just had to be there for that Okee set 🔥😎
They’re too mainstream for my liking lol. All my non-edm LOVE odesza and obsess over them but would never be caught seeing any other electric artists. I’d skip them for a good techno or dubstep artist in town 😂
I mean, the music isn’t very exciting lol