At the Biltmore Cabaret on Monday, March 28

Whoever dubbed Toro Y Moi’s music “chillwave” clearly didn’t anticipate the South Carolina songwriter’s latest appearance at the Biltmore. When Chaz Bundick began garnering attention with his solo project back in 2009, he spent most of his live shows hunched over his laptop, conjuring up a patchwork of hazy samples and easygoing beats. Concertgoers who were expecting a repeat of those early performances had their mellows harshed on Monday night, as the packed venue turned into a sweaty dance party.

The evening was a thrill ride from the get-go, as Abbotsford up-and-comer Teen Daze got things off to an upbeat start with a set of clubby electronica, bolstering his bass-heavy techno beats with cheerful synth melodies. Unlike the songwriter’s pop-oriented material, his dance tracks were entirely instrumental, and he took to the mike only long enough to order the crowd to “go crazy”. This didn’t exactly get the raging response he was looking for, but the onlookers nevertheless bounced along appreciatively, throwing their hands in the air at all the right moments.

Next up, Braids took the stage and showed why it has become the latest Montreal-based act to be embraced by the blogosphere. The group opened with the single “Lemonade”, setting echoing guitar licks against surging tribal rhythms and a shout-along refrain of “All we want to do is love”. Unfortunately, singer-guitarist Raphaelle Standell-Preston didn’t appear to be having much fun, as she complained, “My pedal crapped out on me,” before adding that she was losing her voice. Still, this didn’t put a damper on the band’s ambient-rock stylings, as the foursome conjured up an experimental tapestry of sound with the help of the numerous effects units that littered the ground.

It was almost midnight by the time Toro Y Moi took the stage after a lengthy setup, but Bundick and his three bandmates quickly rewarded the crowd’s patience. Beginning with pulsing waves of feedback and squalling keyboard noise, the group segued into the squelchy R&B groove of “New Beat”. They hadn’t been playing for longer than a minute before a rambunctious fan attempted to stage-dive—no small feat, considering that the stage at the Biltmore is only a few inches off the ground.

The diminutive Bundick didn’t talk much, peering through his large glasses as he blazed through funky riffs on his keyboard and twiddled knobs on the pedals arranged on the table in front of him. Rather than hog the spotlight, the frontman gave his rhythm section a chance to shine on “Still Sound”, which set the audience teeming with its irresistible disco pulse.

The stage lights were filtered through a kaleidoscopic swirl of colours. It caused the room to look a bit like the inside of a lava lamp. This set an appropriately trippy atmosphere for the lengthy instrumental jams, as the band fleshed out “Go with You” and “How I Know” with dense, clattering drums and otherworldly synth swirls.

Following the triumphant electro-rock stomp of “Elise”, Toro Y Moi wrapped up the night with the crowd-pleasing single “Blessa”. With its summery lyrics and sleepy tempo, this meant that the show ended on a surprisingly laid-back note.