Oso Oso Brings Long Island Emo to Durham

Kicking off in 2014 with an unmistakable melodic indie rock sound, Long Island’s very own Oso Oso has constantly evolved over the past decade, from a tiny side project into a band with six full studio albums. Packed with catchy choruses and easily relatable lyrics from the mind of Jade Lilitri, the band’s only permanent member, a small outlet for his acoustic songwriting unexpectedly caught traction and garnered an ever-growing following from across the indie emo scene. This past Thursday night, Oso Oso returned to Motorco Music Hall for the fourth time with Leisure Hour and Bad Luck on a chilly autumn night with tunes perfect for the transition into the fall season!

Just in time for their sixth album releasing on November 6th, Oso Oso launched a two-part tour across the USA, with the first leg having concluded yesterday in Washington, D.C. The next half, covering the southern and western states, will bring Liquid Mike and Bugsy along for the ride and will conclude at the end of November. Three singles have been released from the upcoming record, an exchange of information, out of twelve in total — and hearing them live in Durham this week was fantastic! The evening started with a small crowd for Bad Luck, but the small venue floor quickly filled in with eager fans throughout Leisure Hour’s set, with the second intermission even including a card magician out on the patio for everyone to watch while getting some fresh air. The night had gotten much colder by now, and when the sound of guitar tuning rippled through the air, everyone made their way back inside for the final act of the night.

Starting their set with “4am redemption,” Oso Oso quickly captivated their fans with the first unreleased track off their new album, drawing a warm welcome from the crowd as the frigid outside air dissipated inside the venue. Lilitri thanked everyone for joining him for the show tonight and expressed how nice it was to be back in Durham for another show. He asked if anyone had seen them here before, and as hands were raised and cheers went up across the crowd, one fan exclaimed he had seen them every time they’ve played here, happily surprising Lilitri. A few more songs passed until they played one of their most popular tracks, “basking in the glow,” a fan favorite across the venue and also the song that got me into them during the 2020 pandemic, with the crowd singing along to every verse. During another intermission, Lilitri led two toasts with a beer in hand, one for the alcohol drinkers, and one for the non-alcohol drinkers. The band continued to hop through their discography all night, from Lilitri’s earliest tracks to his latest, a sonic journey spanning over a decade and carried along by thunderous applause. 

Lilitri gave a short speech thanking all his fans in attendance, new and old, for supporting him and what he loves to do. He never imagined Oso Oso would be what it is today, and looked so happy to be on stage in front of the crowd. Winding down the night with another unreleased track, “the facts,” into “gb/ol h/nf,” we were just about mellowed out and were expecting the show to end soon and disperse into the cold streets of Durham before work in the morning. But while the first half of that may have come true, it certainly wouldn’t be a cold end to the performance. With one last burst of energy for the final track, “reindeer games,” a small push pit opened up and got about a fifth of the entire crowd jumping around, and even Jade looked shocked, grinning ear to ear as he watched!

With one final goodbye, a massive thank-you, and a reminder of their new album coming out on November 6th, Oso Oso left the stage as the crowd gave a standing ovation (although most were already standing) and went to line up at the merch table to grab shirts, CDs, and vinyls and hang around to chat with the band! All in all, it was a phenomenal show despite taking place on a cold Thursday night, and there wasn’t a single moment where the small venue felt dead. It’s always so much fun coming to Motorco for both local and touring acts alike, and seeing Oso Oso for the first time in my city couldn’t have gone any better!