Australian three-piece Rüfüs Du Sol released its debut album, Atlas, in 2013, and it didn’t take long for the rest of the world to take notice. In 2016, the group landed a gig at Coachella—and then returned to the SoCal festival in 2017 and 2019. It’s been onward and upward for the dance band ever since.
Jon George (keys), Tyrone Lindqvist (vocals/guitar) and James Hunt (drums) have already proven their crossover appeal. All three play instruments, but they also can perform on stages usually reserved for DJs. Their visuals are second to none—starry light installations are central to the group’s sets. The video for 2018 single “Treat You Better” puts that artistry and vision into focus, bringing light to humanity in all of its different, beautiful forms. In one vignette, a couple is seen getting married and celebrating in a backyard. In another, a Mexican rodeo or charreada is depicted, with horses galloping through sand as children look on.
While they’re typically seen in the form of a live act, Rüfüs Du Sol loves getting behind the decks, too. “We’ve always been DJs as well as being in the band,” George told the Weekly in 2018, a year after the band moved from Australia to LA. That occasion marked their first Wynn Nightlife gig, but the trio was already accustomed to playing Vegas, having been on Electric Daisy Carnival’s 2017 bill. “We’ve had some good times in Vegas already during our last tours and it’s a pretty extravagant experience,” George said at the time.
Rüfüs Du Sol takes over XS for a July 21 DJ set during Nightswim, bound to be another memorable Vegas encounter.
Rüfüs Du Sol July 21, 10 p.m., $25-$45. Nightswim at XS, 702-770-7300.
