Review | Jacob Collier Electrifies Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theatre

Jacob Collier, the multi-instrumentalist wunderkind, burst onto the Arlington stage last week in a technicolor explosion of sound, light, and energy.

For two hours on a Sunday evening, Collier brought the fantastical sonic wonderland he inhabits to vibrant life. With a seven-piece band, an intensely colorful light show, and Collier’s now-signature interactive, sing-along performance style, the night felt nothing short of electric.

In his return to Santa Barbara — Collier bookended the UCSB Arts & Lectures 2023-24 season — he made his admiration for the city’s beauty evident, noting that despite the gray weather, he was still struck by the city’s charm. “That’s that Santa Barbara magic,” he said of the audience’s reception after a simple and sweet performance of his song “The Sun Is in Your Eyes,” — on a 10-string guitar, no less. Throughout the evening, he changed lyrics to “Santa Barbara” in a concerted effort to personalize the performance.

He spoke often about the power of connection and music’s ability to unite. “I think it’s such an important time to make music and such an important time to come together like this and sing and listen to each other and open each other up,” he said.

Dressed in brightly colored mismatched socks, colorful pants, and a purple bomber jacket, Collier galavanted across the stage in a flurry. Hopping from piano to guitar to synthesizer to bass to drums, Collier put his wide range of talents on full display in ways big and small.

The program itself focused primarily on the music from his most recent album, Djesse Vol. 4, a collection of genre-bending, sometimes experimental-sounding tunes. Quiet moments, like “The Sun Is in Your Eyes,” and the track he co-wrote with Lizzy McAlpine and John Mayer, “Never Gonna Be Alone,” still felt radiant, full of his exuberant joy for the craft. Meanwhile, performances of songs like “Mi Corazón” and “100,000 Voices”  felt massive — strobe lights, booming bass, and all.

The stage was put to full use, with trees, vines, and bushes surrounding the platforms on which the band stood, turning the Arlington into a kind of musical garden. A large “J” hung high above the stage in bright and shimmering LED lights. The set played into the whimsy of Collier’s performance style — one that felt loose and always joyful.

The audience responded strongly. Two standing ovations marked the evening, not counting the rousing one at the show’s finale and during the extensive encore. Collier’s rendition of “Bridge over Troubled Water,” a synthy, pulsing cover that flexed his impressive vocal range, was met with rousing applause and got the crowd on their feet. The other came at the end of “Witness Me,” in which he instructed the audience to sing, transforming the audience into a choral section with the wave of his hand.

Collier emphasized collaboration throughout the evening, spotlighting the band supporting him often. His backup vocalists, Alita Moses, Lindsey Lomis, and Erin Bantlage, carried multiple songs, and there were plenty of roaring guitar solos from guitarist Ben Jones and thrilling percussion breaks from drummer Christian Euman to go around.

In an extensive encore, Collier rounded out the night with a lively performance of “In My Bones,” accompanied by his opening act, the hauntingly talented Kimbra. He followed up the encore with yet another, this time alone on stage with just the piano for two covers — “Somebody to Love” and “Moon River.”