Magic In The Audience, Giants On Stage

On the release night of their debut album Into the Wind, American indie folk rockers, Magic Giant, graced the crowd at The Observatory's Constellation Room in Santa Ana with their bright, vivid sound, and bohemian look.
magicgiant1
Magic Giant plays in a packed Constellation Room at the Observatory celebrating the release of their debut album “In The Wild”. / Carlos Duarte / el Don

On the release night of their debut album Into the Wind, American indie folk rockers, Magic Giant, graced the crowd at The Observatory’s Constellation Room in Santa Ana with their bright, vivid sound, and bohemian look.

Hailing from Los Angeles, the trio consists of Austin Bisnow (lead vocals), Zambricki Li (banjo, violin, harmonica) and Zang (acoustic guitar, cello). Although they have only been active since 2014, the multi-instrumentalists have taken fans by storm. Touring with musical acts like Mike Posner and Beats Antique as well as playing at sold-out festivals like Lighting in a Bottle and Wanderlust, the group shows no signs of slowing down as they continue their international tour, which includes Canada.

Attending Magic Giant’s show transported me into a whole other atmosphere. It made forget about my day and I was lost in the moment as they played their set. Much like their fans, the trio radiates with positive and joyful energy. Constantly smiling and getting their fans to engage and sing-along to their favorite songs, their shows are restless and a nonstop whirlwind.

Their live sound is very relevant to today’s pop scene while putting their own spin to it using classical musical instruments like a cello used as a guitar, a bass drum and the fiddle. It’s very hard to miss their distinctive sound and birdlike harmonies joined by Li’s harmonica.Their song “Let It Burn” featured a heavy bass drum, that overcame the crowd with it’s intensity. Zang’s passion and energy immediately caused a roar from the audience. The band had the crowd yearning for more.

“Raise your hand if this is your first Magic Giant show?,” said Bisnow.

Quickly responding, half of the crowd raised their hands while the others cheered.

READ MORE:  Associated Student Government Visits Washington D.C. to Advocate for Student Needs

The night was full of surprises. A lucky fan celebrating her birthday received an unexpected gift, which included a birthday serenade from frontman Austin, accompanied with a selfie from the stage with the group.

At their set’s midpoint, the trio surprised fans yet again. The guys joined the crowd offstage for an impromptu set as they formed a tight-knit circle around the group. Setting pillows and cushioned seats in the middle of the crowd, the celebration continued with fans just centimeters away.

Because of their strong stage presence and constant activity on stage — whether it was picking up multiple instruments or climbing onto the speakers and enjoying the moment, there is a genuine connection with fans.

Everything this band creates is so uniquely thought out and their debut album is evidence of that. The album was recorded in a shuttle bus that was transformed into a solar-powered mobile recording studio, making it a unique approach to the recording process.

As the final moments arrived and the end of their set neared, fans cheered as the trio headed off stage by saying their final goodbyes. Only gone for a few minutes, the crowd chanted for an encore. Surprising their fans one last time, they got back on stage and performed the first single from their debut album, “Set On Fire.”

Overall, the crowd was pleased with their lively performance at the intimate show. The band gave them a memorable performance and the crowd could not be any more pleased. Magic Giant sure knows how to put on a real show. These guys are making waves and they’re just getting started.

 

Carlos Duarte contributed to this report.

Faith Hernandez

Leave a Reply