Gotye proves a whirlwind of charm at the El Rey

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It was packed from wall to wall for Wally De Backer on Thursday night at the El Rey Theatre. Known better by his stage name, Gotye provided an hour-and-a-half high for those lucky enough to get their hands on tickets to the sold-out show.

Initially only a megastar on his home turf, the Australian multi-instrumentalist quickly rose to international fame during the last year. His hit single “Somebody That I Used to Know” featuring New Zealand’s Kimbra had much to do with it, but as soon as Gotye walked on to stage it was apparent that his undeniable charm and talent has fueled his rise.

In comparison to his first U.S. show at the Satellite, the elegant décor of El Rey Theatre better suited Gotye’s set. Although that first intimate outing will remain a treasured experience (especially because the audience got to provide the horns when the backing tracks went out during the last song), Thursday’s spacious venue truly enhanced anthemic songs such as “Eyes Wide Open,” which opened the night’s set.

Gotye, who has been making music since his teenage years, has a knowledge of music and technology that would intimidate even the biggest gearhead. This was evident once he started playing with his synthesizers, drum kits, organ, vibes (the list could fill out the rest of this review), but it’s his amiable stage persona that transforms the awe into a familial enjoyment.

“How you doin’?” he asked, smiling from ear to ear. “Lookin’ good. I can actually see some of you. Thanks for coming.”

Interweaving various genres including R&B, funk, rock and pop, Gotye and his four-piece band mostly played songs from his first U.S. album “Making Mirrors.” However, the madman – who was almost spinning in the center of all his instruments – did make a point to touch base with his previous album “Like Drawing Blood” via songs like the mystical “The Only Way Out” and the mid-tempo grooved “Thanks For Your Time.”

But the random whoops in the audience escalated into screams of delight as he went into “State of the Art,” and before the first measures, Gotye made sure to properly introduce the song before all the special effects occurred. “This is about those who have fallen in love with an organ. This song is about my organ.” With the song’s animated music video projected on to the screen in back of the band and the seductive vocal effects, which brought Gotye’s voice down a few octaves to sound like electronic mix of Barry White and Thurl Ravenscroft, the set took a heavy funk-influenced R&B turn.

“The magic of technology,” Gotye pointed out after the song was over, still using the downwardly pitch-shifted effects. They continued on an electronic route with one more song as he had all his band members actually drop their instruments to play only samples of instruments on “Thanks For Your Time,” before dropping the tempo and softening the dynamics for “Save Me” and “Bronte.”

Yet, the room erupted most when it came time for them to play “Somebody That I Used to Know.” “Oh, do you know this song?” Gotye  jokingly asked. Even with Kimbra unable to make a guest appearance, a sea of cell phones filled the air as everyone desperately tried to capture the live experience of the wildly popular break-up anthem. Kimbra’s part was also replaced by a strong chorus (surprisingly in tune) of all female attendees, making it somewhat of a special duet.

It’s hard to believe that virtually no one in the room had heard of Gotye before last summer, and the Belgium-born 31-year-old was gracious about all the attention he’d received. In fact, he thanked seemingly every person working at the venue by name.

And to top off his good-guy personality, Gotye returned for an encore featuring the most feel-good songs from his catalog. “We didn’t go anywhere,” he assured in a tone that implied the thought of them never returning was simply ridiculous, and off they went into “In Your Light,” “I Feel Better” and “Learnalilgivinanlovin” to celebrate the night’s success.

L.A. art-pop band Hot As Sun opened the night with their repertoire of R&B-influenced electro. Early birds got to catch frontwoman Jamie Jackson and Deborah Stoll donning fake mustaches. Jackson’s impressive vocal range was especially showcased in songs such as “Only a Woman,” and new songs featured M83-esque rave-ups. But it was their closer “Come, Come” that won the audience over. Smooth moves from Kenan Peters also didn’t hurt.

Photos by Debi Del Grande