I was lucky enough to catch Osees at Star Theater in Portland on September 3 — night one of their back-to-back sold-out shows. I’d never seen them live before and… WHOA. What a treat.

Opening the night was DMBQ, a Japanese rock band from Tokyo whose name stands for “Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet.” Their sound pulls heavy influence from early ‘70s British and American rock— think Hendrix, Deep Purple, and Zeppelin— and they delivered exactly that: loud, heavy, and completely unrelenting. I’m so glad I got there early to snag a front-and-center spot — short people problems + no barricade at Star Theater = strategy. By the end of their set, the venue was packed wall-to-wall with fans buzzing for Osees.

When Osees began setting up, my perfect view disappeared — right in front of me, not one but two drum kits rolled out. Inches from my face, I knew I wasn’t going to see much, but I was absolutely going to hear everything.

And once they started? Absolute chaos in the best way. The energy was through the roof from the first note, and the crowd instantly turned into a sea of movement. Nobody was standing still; bodies bouncing in unison, fists pumping to the beat, and me eventually fighting my way to the stairs for some height just to take it all in.

Osees is one of those bands where the live experience is pure electricity. Loud, raw, sweaty, relentless — every moment felt like a jolt of adrenaline, and I left with my ears ringing and heart racing.

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