Seraphina Lotkhamnga on August 3rd, 2012

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The Echo became a sauna on Wednesday night. Fans of Alt-J piled into the venue for a sold-out show and expected to get hot and sticky, but even with high expectations, no one could have been ready for the fiery performance from the Leeds, U.K.-based quartet.

• ||| Photos by Carl Pocket

Playing their first headlining L.A show, the genre-bending band set the room ablaze the second they stepped on stage to play “Intro,” the track which opens their forthcoming U.S. debut “An Awesome Wave” (out Sept. 18 on Canvasback). Although there were no lyrics, the song immediately enraptured the audience who roared with approval afterward. And slick transitions into the a cappella “(Ripe & Ruin)” followed by the hypnotic “Tessellate” only made fans throw their bodies harder into the groove.

Throughout their set, Alt-J kept their cool. Tight harmonies, titillating percussion and wrestling matches between dancing keyboard/glockenspiel riffs and unshakable bass lines all seemed effortless. But everyone once in a while frontman Joe Newman would stop to gush between songs to say “Thanks so much for coming. This means so much to us.”

Living up to the meaning of their name (∆ means change in mathematics), Alt-J did indeed waft in and out of different genres with each new song in their set. Ricocheting from folk to trip-hop to rock, songs like “Dissolve Me” even provided a clap-happy breeze as much as “Taro” offered an Indian-flavored flair. Hands were un-ironically waved in the air and mouths were singing along to every lyric as Alt-J impressively showcased their rich repertoire.

But the singles were what made the packed room move as one. “Fitzpleasure,” which once again opened a cappella, and its diverse song structure and remarkable dynamics pushed an unstoppable energy out into the audience. Whether it was massive synth lines or flawless vocals, it was a song the human body couldn’t escape. However, the folky “Breezeblocks” got a sentimental touch as Newman shouted “This one’s for you!” As the chorus grew thicker, claps percolated throughout the song without instruction and everyone found themselves singing “Please don’t go / I love you so” at the top of their lungs.

For the most part, the crowd reciprocated the conviction behind those lyrics. On this night, nobody was ready to let Alt-J go just yet – especially without an encore.

Brooklyn’s Erika Spring (of Au Revoir Simone) and L.A.’s Something Died in Memphis opened the night.

||| Live: Alt-J returns to L.A. for a show Sept. 29 at the Bootleg Bar.