Le Youth brings down the house in Williamsburg

October 5, 2016 By Scott Enman Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Le Youth takes in the moment during his set. Photos by Paola Ossa

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Although most fans at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday were not of school age, that didn’t stop them from taking part in Le Youth’s Homewerk Tour.

Wes James, better known by his stage name Le Youth, is a Los Angeles-based musician, DJ and producer who, simply put, brought down the house this past weekend.

Hundreds gathered at the iconic North Brooklyn venue to watch Le Youth emphatically perform on his Brooklyn stop of his tour. Thus far, Le Youth has played in Chicago, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and now Brooklyn. He has at least four shows remaining in Texas, including in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Austin.

Le Youth is no stranger to Brooklyn, having performed at the recently shuttered Verboten, Output’s Panther Room, Good Room and BangOnNYC!’s Elements Music & Arts Festival at the abandoned Red Hook Grain Terminal.

“Fans are definitely rowdier [in Brooklyn] and there seems to be this cooler culture happening here,” Le Youth told the Brooklyn Eagle backstage before his show. “I don’t mean to say that it’s cooler than other parts of New York, but there’s a scene here. It has history, and you feel part of it, and I think looking back on it, I’ll definitely feel a part of it.

“I can look back and say, ‘I played at all those clubs,’ or say, ‘I was there that night,’ and that’s going to be cool. I think it will be cooler in hindsight than it is right now, but for now, it’s f–king excellent.”

Le Youth’s tour is aptly named Homewerk, which is named after his forthcoming label of the same name that will be launched this week. Prior to taking the stage, Le Youth explained to the Eagle his inspiration behind the name and what his new label means to him.

“For me, Homewerk means I make music; I play music for a living,” said Le Youth. “That’s the best part of it. So the business side, running a label, that’s the Homewerk. The name worked, and it looks cool visually, and I’m a very visual person aside from the musical side.

“It’s going to be a way for me to take control of my music,” he continued. “I’ve been in this label system for the past few years, and it’s kind of slowed down my release schedule. I have so much music, and being limited to what I put out has been really frustrating, and so finally, this was my outlet for that.”

The inaugural release on the label will be his own song called “Me Without You,” which the Eagle got an exclusive listen to prior to its release.

The tune features feel-good, diva-driven vocals alongside a melodic bassline with slightly tropical vibes.

To start his set on Saturday, Le Youth, dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans, took the microphone and said, “New York, it’s time to do your Homewerk!” which elicited a deafening applause.

Le Youth mesmerized the crowd with not only his wonderfully crafted set that included his new single, but also with his infectious stage presence.

Le Youth strives to make his shows an interactive experience by constantly talking to, high-fiving and encouraging fans to come on stage to dance. For over an hour, Le Youth — due in part to his contagious smile, relaxed West Coast demeanor and bleach blonde hair moving to the rhythm of the bass — had the audience in the palm of his hand.

His easygoing nature shone through after some technical difficulties caused the music to stop. Unfazed, Le Youth calmly took the microphone and said, “Let’s try this again!”

Reflecting on his time in Brooklyn, Le Youth told the Eagle, “I have good friends here and we always have fun. When I think of Brooklyn, I think of seeing my close friends, moving around, getting dinner and getting drinks. Getting to play a show here is just the icing on the cake.”