Esprit at Outset 3/4/26
- Celeste
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
On Wednesday the 4th, I saw George Clanton’s project “Esprit” in concert! It was part of his “Five Meditations Tour,” where he went to LA, San Francisco, Joshua Tree, Chicago, and ended with New York City. He will also be going to Texas, but that is part of an expansion of his tour.
His music is heavily influential in the electronic/vaporwave scene. When I was waiting in line, two guys behind me said that they were even influenced by him and had music projects of their own.
The venue (Outset) is in Bucktown, and a 20ish minute walk east of the Damen blue line stop. It was general admission, with a balcony above the regular standing floor space. Originally, I was on the floor, but I realized George would be performing there (and not the stage), so I went up to the balcony.
The lighting of the place was really cool, and behind him were projected visuals that went along with the music. It enhanced the effect and made it that much cooler to experience.
He played a mix of popular (such as the transition from Secret and Warmpop) and less popular songs, and the whole thing was like a DJ set, where he added parts and messed with the order of things. I really enjoyed it, and although there were no words, I felt that people were pretty engaged and swaying along to the music.
Because I was on the balcony, I was along a railing that let me rest my hands. I kind of don’t care if people record at concerts, but I saw this as a good opportunity as I didn’t have to put energy into recording, and the versions of the songs he played I wouldn’t be able to hear otherwise.
This came at the expense of my phone’s battery life, as it died right before the concert ended. I got most of the show though! Overall, I had a great time, and it was cool to see how music can be transformed in a live setting, even if there is no singing involved in the songs.
Some fun facts about George Clanton/Esprit:
He has his own label (100% Electronica)
This project was named after the Lotus Esprit, a luxury sports car
He chooses what song goes under what name (George Clanton vs Esprit) on whether he can perform it live or not (Esprit songs are more sit-down and vibey)
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