Seraphina Lotkhamnga on June 19th, 2014

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Even before the Roxy Theatre finished raising the black curtain on Tuesday night, the strings in Clean Bandit’s intro to “A+E” created a wild frenzy. It was the U.S. debut for the British group that fuses electronica and orchestral pop – a sold-out celebration of their debut record “New Eyes” (out now via Atlantic). Accordingly, Clean Bandit and their guest vocalists went not one, but about 10 steps beyond, to make their live debut across the pond a memorable one.

• ||| Photos by Kelsey Heng

Think Disclosure or Rudimental but with two virtuosos on strings (violin and cello), a live drummer and a master on synths/keys. It’s not drum and bass, it’s not exactly EDM, but it was definitely pop and there was undeniable energy as Elizabeth Troy and Florence Rawlings began to provide vocals for the night and danced up a storm.

With Milan Neil Amin-Smith on violin flanking the singers’ right and cellist Grace Chatto on their left, it was an incredible sight to see and a rush to hear the screams hurdled toward stage. Not even the Biebs could have produced such noise on this night. Fans were eager to finally hear and see how Clean Bandit would execute a live show, and they got a big fat party.

With a couple of older and unreleased tunes such as “Running Again,” “UK Shanty” and “Nightingale,” the quartet integrated samples of Mozart (“Mozart’s House”) in the midst of electronic beats.

After providing vocals on reggae and Caribbean-influenced “Come Over,” Chatto stopped to gush for a bit. “Today is a very special day for us,” she exclaimed. “This is the first show we’ve played in America. … Another special reason: Our album ‘New Eyes’ has come out today.” It was enough for her porcelain cheeks to blush a rosy pink.

Considering that the album had just made its way to the States, it was a special moment when fans sang along with keyboardist and bassist Jack Patterson as he began the shape-shifting vocals on “Dust Clears.” It wasn’t the only sing-a-long throughout the night, either. Dance tunes “Extraordinary,” “Hearts on Fire” and even the ballad “Up Again” inspired fans to wave their arms in unison or jump up and down accordingly.

Despite all the electronic elements, the night was an organic experience made by a special community of fans and musicians who were there to turn musical perceptions upside down. Drummer Luke Patterson kept the percussion raw and powerful enough for everyone to feel the same pulse. Troy and Rawlings made it seem as if they were part of the band all along, singing with gusto and soul. Who said classical music could never be hardcore?

Going through a kaleidoscope of hip-hop, reggae, classical and pop, Clean Bandit closed their main set after their eighth energetic song before disappearing to the green room for a short break. Of course, they hadn’t played their big hit “Rather Be,” so the crowd began chanting “One. More. Song! One. More. Song!”

Clean Bandit did indeed come back for an encore, but they surprised the faithful with a cover of Robyn S’s 1993 R&B club hit “Show Me Love.” The crowd may have screamed the lyrics “Whatever happens tonight stays in the crowd / Whatever happens stays between you and I” earlier in the night, but Clean Bandit gave a show that they would talk about for days. What’s the lyric in their big hit? “There’s no place I’d rather be.” Yes, that.

L.A.-based electro-R&B duo Made In Heights preceded the night with their grimy beats and sweet vocals, plus some synchronized dance moves to boot.