DIIV Performs Live at The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, CA on August 24, 2016

Kicking off the first of two nights of the FYF “After Dark Series” at The Fonda Theater, the Brooklyn based band, DIIV played to a pack floor of both young and hold hipsters. Opening the show were Alex G and Wild Nothing. While Alex G felt uninspired and a bit drab, even attempting to induce a crowd response with the offers of free candy, it was Wild Nothing that stepped it up and got the Fonda primed for DIIV. Honestly, the show should’ve been just Wild Nothing and DIIV as they are equally talented and skilled.

I’m not a diehard DIIV fan but they intrigued me enough to crawl out of my self-imposed exile of covering live shows, especially with their new album, Is The Is Are, on repeat for the last couple weeks. Last time I covered a DIIV show was four years ago and a lot has changed since then. The band has gone through its share of personal struggles, drama, and lineup changes—coming out on the other side with a more mature and focused sound, which translated quite well to their live show.

DIIV’s performance has progressed from sloppy, grungy, and loose to a much more defined and tighter show, yet still maintaining a looser feel. The new drummer, Ben Newman, is a welcome addition, locking in tightly with Devin Ruben Perez’s hypnotic and driving bass lines, laying the foundation for Cole and Andrew Bailey’s ethereal yet jangly guitars. Cole sounds better than ever, still a bit coy, but definitely appearing more comfortable and confident. Older songs like “Doused,” “Druun” and “Oshin” held up to newer crowd favorites, “Dopamine,” “Healthy Moon” and “Under The Sun” all of had crazed fans, singing along. Despite the more ‘mature’ sound, DIIV, still gets the kids moshing and crowd surfing, which I always find odd at shows that aren’t overly aggressive, but then again, I am from a different era of music…

Photography: Ceethreedom