Bliss n Eso packed out the Enmore Theatre on Friday night, bringing with them a multi-generational crowd and a career-spanning show. From the opening moments, a cinematic, space-themed intro, to the final notes of 2010’s ‘Addicted’, the energy never waned. And with the scale and momentum of this mammoth national tour, I’d expect nothing less.
Ivan Ooze opened with what was essentially a full-length set of his own and could have easily sneaked in as a co-headline. Backed by his own DJ and hyped by signs and trinkets being passed up from the front rows, he held the room like a headliner. A clear fanbase there just for him.
Jonathan Notley (MC Bliss), Max MacKinnon (MC Eso), and Tarik Ejjamai (DJ Izm) have been holding down their spot in Australian hip-hop for over two decades now. From early days as teenagers rapping on school buses to dominating festival lineups and topping charts, they’ve long outgrown the “underground” label, but they’ve never lost the underdog energy.
The trio tore through a tightly choreographed set filled with stargazing visuals, crowd call-outs, and so many moments that felt both intimate and massive, including a surprise appearance in the upper balcony mid-show and a cameo from Wilfred the dog (yes, really).
New tracks like the viral Dirty Head’s sample ‘Vacation’ sat comfortably alongside classics like 2010’s ‘Reflections’, and you could feel how many people in the room had grown up with them, shouting every word, no matter the era. At one point, Bliss and Eso talked about how their latest album ‘The Moon (The Light Side)’ was released with no expectations… only to quickly debut at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The moment felt humble, not boastful. They’re just mates still pinching themselves after all these years.
That balance, the scale of the show against the groundedness of the performers, is what makes them Bliss n Eso. They’re showmen, but they’re also just lifelong friends who turned meeting at the bus stop into platinum records. ‘The Moon (The Dark Side)’ is set to be released in October.
