Kevin Bronson on January 31st, 2016

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Julia Holter and Circuit des Yeux brought a bit of strange darkness to Los Angeles, playing Saturday night at the Teragram Ballroom.

It a big hometown show for Holter, 31, whose four album “Have You in My Wilderness,” was released last year to much deserved acclaim. She was joined by a band including Dina Maccabee (viola, vocals), Devin Hoff (bass) and Corey Fogel (drums, vocals). Her adoring fans were completely enraptured by her off-kilter baroque pop and onstage presence. Between songs, she was enigmatic and charming. Behind her sometimes-melancholy songs, Holter was quick to make light of things: “Now we’re going to get dark,” she said, and with a brief pause followed by the press of a button on her keyboard to play a pre-programmed circus tune. After a second or two and a quick grin, it was right back into the set.

As an opener, Circuit Des Yeux did not let the crowd get off easy. Instead, it was a challenging set to listen to, forcing the audience to mentally engage.

Photos by Samantha Saturday