Toro y Moi @ Union Transfer.

Text by Grace Dickinson. Images by Rick Kauffman.

Toro y Moi filled both floors of Union Transfer on Monday, bringing summery chillwave to a damp February night.

“We did not expect a packed house,” said South Carolina native Chaz Bundick, the brainchild of Toro y Moi. “This is awesome, so thank you.”

On tour to support his latest album, Anything In Return, Chaz took center stage in his signature circular spectacles and with two electric keyboards, and delivered a 75-minute set.

Opening with “Rose Quartz,” he plunged right into his new album, from which he’d draw from much of the night. Anything In Return, the third full-length album from Toro y Moi, is filled with California vibes, a reflection of Chaz’s recent move to Berkeley. The album dropped two weeks ago. With simple lyrics and spacey, electro beats, many of the tracks could be considered both danceable and tranquil at the same time. It’s the kind of music you’d want to play on the beach while relaxing with all your best friends, grooving when the moment strikes.

In a sense, Toro y Moi’s on-stage light show provided the beachy feel that goes so well with the music Chaz produces. Material resembling generic white window shades was held on four easel-like stands placed in a semi-circle toward the back of the stage. Various colored light beams turned them into transforming canvases throughout the night. Frequently shades of sky blue faded beneath pastel oranges, making it feel as though you were shore-side, watching the sun go down before emerging into darkness. In between songs, the lights would often go out. The glimpse of black would build a dramatic return to both the poppy keyboard sounds and warming colors of the night.

Natalie Bergman (right)

Even before Chaz took the stage, the audience had their hands in the air while moving in the tight space around them.

Newly emerging Wild Belle opened for Toro y Moi with a mix of soulful pop and jazz, and a few notable saxophone solos too. The Chicago-based band features brother-sister duo Elliot and Natalie Bergman. Their first album is set to debut in March.

Elliot Bergman (left)

Natalie, who sounded like a mix between Adele and No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani, acted as front man and lead vocalist. Elliot and the remaining tour members set an accompanying ska-like backdrop, largely attributed to the Calypso-esque steel pan drum mimicry coming from the two keyboardists.

Dog Bite, which featured long-dreadheaded vocalist Phil Jones from Atlanta, kicked off the night with a dark, 90s Nirvana feel.

All three bands will continue together up the east coast, performing two shows in New York before heading off to Boston.