George Clanton Dominates Electronic Music Scene In Philly Basement — 20 Watts Magazine | Premier Music Publication of SU

By Athena Myers

George Clanton, opened by Magdalena Bay and Vitesse X, deliver amazing performances at Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church.

Last Thursday, I ventured eight hours away to see electronic artist George Clanton perform in the basement of a late 19th century church in Philadelphia, PA. 

George Clanton’s been establishing himself in the electronic and vaporwave music scene for a number of years, formerly going by monikers such as Mirror Kisses and ESPRIT 空想 before stripping himself of a stage name. He’s collaborated with other well-known alternative artists such as Caroline Polachek, The Garden, and 311. He released his most recent solo album in 2018, titled Slide.

After sitting on the front steps of the First Unitarian Church that sometimes doubles as a music venue for about 20 minutes, entry was allowed into the space. We were led down a dimly-lit set of stairs and through a doorway with a piece of paper on the wall that read “BYOB”. Amen. 

The show was opened by newcomer solo DJ and musician Vitesse X, recently signed to Clanton’s independent record label 100% Electronica. Though much of the audience wasn’t familiar with her music, her rave-like vibe and euphoric voice somewhat reminiscent of Grimes captivated the crowd. 

Next up was Magdalena Bay, a synth-pop duo with hyper-pop undertones from Los Angeles, California. The group had a great energy, primarily performing songs from their recently released debut album Mercurial World in matching bodysuits and the occasional cat mask.

By the time George Clanton took the stage, the crowd couldn’t have been more ready. He’s known for his bizarre and unpredictable stage presence, and we had no idea what he had in store for us that night. As he walked in, the instrumental to fan-favorite “Livin’ Loose” played. He proceeded to pick up the Bible that was on the floor, flip to a random page and read a scripture as he dramatically fell to his knees, followed by cheers and screams from the audience. This happened multiple times throughout the night.