Bayonne Turns Paradiso Into a Dreamy Dancefloor

2026-09-05

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Bayonne is the solo project of Austin, Texas-based multi-instrumentalist Roger Sellers. Known for his layered and often dreamy electronic soundscapes, he is set to release his new album, Filters, on September 4. Tonight, he brings his live show to Paradiso’s intimate upstairs room in Amsterdam.

Right from the start, Bayonne made an interesting choice with the setlist. He opened the night with two previously unreleased songs from his new album, “Unexpected” and “Good Enough.” As this was the first night of the Filters tour, we had the privilege of hearing these new songs live for the first time.

The evening quickly settled into an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. The setup almost felt like being invited to a living-room party — personal and laid-back, but with plenty of room to dance. And dance the audience did. As soon as the first notes of “Perfect” filled the room, it erupted in cheers, and the dancing continued for almost the entire show.

A large screen behind Bayonne added to the atmosphere, shifting between colorful, dreamlike imagery and mesmerizing scenes of waves breaking across the screen. Together with the music, the visuals pulled the audience into a world of its own, where everyday worries could briefly be forgotten. “I Know” was clearly another fan favorite, bringing another wave of energy from the crowd. Bayonne was joined on stage by drummer Josh Halpern, whose drumming added another dimension to the songs and gave the live versions an extra punch.

As this was the first night of the tour, there were still a few little hiccups, especially during the new songs. “Multiphase,” for example, had to be restarted. But rather than taking away from the show, these little imperfections made the night feel all the more real and authentic.

Bayonne’s humor and personality also came through throughout the evening, whether in his conversations between songs or in the James Bond theme playing while he tuned his guitar — a playful way of making those moments a little less “awkward”, as he put it himself.

As expected, the focus of the night was mainly on songs from Filters. One of the highlights was the catchy “Oxygen,” a single from the new album that has become one of my favorite tracks of the summer. But there was also room for some older favorites, including “Appeals” and “Abilia.” During the latter, the entire floor seemed to move with the dancing crowd. It was a fitting example of the energy in the room.

One of the most interesting parts of Bayonne’s live show is seeing how he builds his music layer by layer. Using loops, he creates and combines different sounds in real time, gradually building the songs from the ground up. “Appeals,” with its intricate melodies and carefully constructed layers, showed just how much can come together from these individual elements.

The main set came to an end with “Right Thing,” before Bayonne returned for an encore with “Words” and “Drastic Measures.” By then, the audience had long settled into the rhythm of the evening — dancing, singing along and clearly enjoying themselves.

It was a show that constantly moved between dreamy soundscapes and something closer to organized chaos, with complex arrangements woven through layers of looping sounds. The audience played an important part in that experience too, keeping the energy high from beginning to end. With such a warm and engaged crowd, the atmosphere in the room was hard to beat.

For a first night of the tour, there were a few minor imperfections, but they were hardly enough to take away from an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable show. In fact, it was difficult to find any real low points in the set. Bayonne delivered a lively and immersive performance that left little to criticize.