Zhu Brings Washington, DC crowd to Church

Showcases songs from New EP Days before Grace as New Album Release Nears

“Let it Be Thy Will” flashes across the top of a massive LED screen, as Zhu brings the crowd along for his ‘Grace’ tour, traveling to Washington, DC’s The Anthem, on Saturday night. The packed house got to hear songs from his newly released EP, alongside a live band in (and out) of a unique set.

Zhu at The Anthem - Photo by Nick Piacente

Zhu is an electronic artist/producer from San Francisco, whose gained popularity for his Grammy-nominated song “Faded” nearly 10 years ago in 2014. He’s now touring in support of his fourth studio album titled Grace due out early next calendar year (1.19.24.) A preluding six-track EP Days Before Grace was released earlier this year, and was featured throughout his performance.

Noizu at The Anthem - Photo by Nick Piacente

The night started with a DJ set from electronic producer Noizu, who joins Zhu on the tour for a handful of dates through November.

He got the crowd warmed up with a house set, including his recent lyrical single “Vogue,” released under his own label Techne Records.

As we waited for Zhu to enter the stage, a visual preamble was projected to the screen, describing how Zhu recorded some of his album in his hometown’s Grace Cathedral. Zhu entered the stage with a team of musicians, backs to the crowd, as “Take my Soul” played on, the first track from the recent EP. The team scurried away as Zhu sang over the record, before ascending to his altar, built up on top of a large box structure adorned with LEDs around the three crowd-facing sides.

You could see that Zhu’s band had assembled within the box when the transparent structure’s LED’s were turned off. Then, selfie cameras showing each band member were displayed on the front of the box during solos and other moments, while Zhu was mixing on top of the box or singing to the crowd. The on-stage visuals were multi-dimensional and at times built around some religious imagery, including images of stained glass, and a ticker of phrases like “Surrender to Sin” among others.

At times, the saxophone and guitar players made appearances out on stage, and Zhu even joined in on the keys, leaving only the drummer within the assembled structure on stage. The performance showcased Zhu’s multi-talented musical ability and brought another dimension to the electronic music performance; an approach that seems to be working for the group of EDM artists who perform with touring bands.

Zhu gave a lengthy encore (over 30 minutes long) which included an extended house set, where Zhu slowly mixed in portions of Faded and built the crowd’s excitement. He finally closed out with old hits like “Cocaine Model” and “Faded” before the night was over.

The Grace tour continues through the fall around the US, closing out in LA in the beginning of November. The Days Before Grace EP is out now on Astralwerks, and can be found on all major streaming platforms.

See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!

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