Tycho at Brooklyn Steel [photos/review]

Photos + Article by Anthony Bauer

Earlier this year Tycho released the fantastic new album Infinite Health (via Mom+Pop / Ninja Tune) and has been out on the road in support of the release ever since it dropped. To me the best part about a new Tycho album is getting to experience the live show that corresponds with the new music and on November 11th, we were treated to just that: a new live show with stellar new music.

While we last caught Tycho back in 2019, we were beyond thrilled to be back at Brooklyn Steel as it marked the return to the venue for the band since their last headlining gig there all the way back in May of 2017. Kicking things off for the night and opening the show was was Los Angeles duo Brijean.

Openers Brijean hail from the West Coast and you can definitely get that vibe from their music. From start to finish their set was super energetic filled with hypnotizing bass lines and funky rhythms that had the whole crowd dancing. While this was my first time seeing them, I realized that.. it actually might have not been. What I mean by that is that Brijean has collaborated with acts like Toro Y Moi, Poolside, U.S. Girls, Les Sins, The Mattson 2, and a few other artists as well so… its quite possible you’ve seen them too without even realizing it.

To me, the anticipation for this show was quite high as I was very excited to hear all the new songs and just how they would translate into a live setting (something frontman and mastermind of Tycho, Scott Hansen has truly mastered). The band wasted no time and jumped directly into Infinite Health standout single “Phantom” which saw each member of the band go full throttle right out of the gate. Guitarist Zac Brown , multi-instrumentalist Billy Kim, and drummer Rory O’Conner were all in perfect sync with Hansen and really started the set off in the best way possible.

After the stellar opening first song, the setlist shifted to a melody of “Spectre” (from 2014’s Awake) segueing directly into fan-favorite “Hours” (from 2011’s Dive) to where the band really settled into their stride for the night. The one thing I noticed after many years of covering Tycho (even all the way back to their headlining set at Terminal 5 ten years ago) was that.. they’re getting more comfortable not being perfect – and I mean that in the best way possible. In previous shows, the songs felt near-identical renditions of the studio recordings with a slight rawness and warmth to it (thanks to the live guitars, drums, and bass). But this show felt a little bit looser in that, some songs had some more punchiness to the guitar parts or more thunderous drums to them. Dare I say at times it even felt grittier while still holding true to the original song. This helped make old songs feel fresh & new again, and made new songs feel like old favorites by intertwining the sonics of everything so perfectly.

The other thing that sets a Tycho show apart from other shows is the attention to detail. Hansen being a former full time designer in his past life truly pays off as he gets to art direct every aspect of the Tycho project from the album art, merch.. and even visuals for the live set. Some of the show saw the band drenched in projections that were tastefully and cleverly done. Songs from Awake had more primary colors with solid backgrounds where as Dive era songs saw more sunsets and grit to the backdrops. The other impressive thing was the light rig for this tour – it was simple, yet effective by creating unique looks without being obnoxious. Yes, there were strobes but they were tastefully used and the lighting mixed with the projections was the level of detail that I absolutely love about Tycho shows. Yes the band is playing, but there’s a show within the show that I know Hansen is fully aware of / helped be in control over.

One song I will never get tired of hearing is “PBS” from 2006’s Past is Prologue because it absolutely rips live. It’s one of the only songs the band plays from those early Tycho days and feels right at home in the setlist amongst the fan-favorites and new songs. I loved seeing is it being played directly before Infinite Health standout track “Green,” which that song by itself shares a lot of vibes of the early Tycho days but with more modern flair to it. Both songs being played back to back was like the old era Tycho shaking hands with the new era Tycho and it just flowed so beautifully as a back-to-back choice during the set.

Tycho shows are always a treat as you never know what to expect going in – but you always know you’re in for a treat both visually and sonically. The band always delivers a phenomenal show both and this tour was proof that every tour is “one-upping” itself by sounding bigger and better. If you missed this run of shows don’t worry – the band recently announced they’re heading back out on the road next year. Be sure to check out all upcoming tour dates for 2025 here.

Find a full gallery from opener Brijean as well as a full gallery + setlist from Tycho below.

Brijean: