He’s one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in the dance music world. He’s fresh off the biggest summer of his young career playing megafestivals around the world, including Lollapalooza, Outside Lands and Downtown Las Vegas’ own Lost in Dreams last month.
The future looks limitless for 22-year-old Powell Aguirre, better known as Surf Mesa. But right now, he says, all he can think about is his Las Vegas club debut at XS on October 9.
“It’s just such a staple name and venue,” he says via Zoom from his second home in LA (Seattle is his true home). “I’ve seen a few sets at XS—Marshmello and The Chainsmokers. All the DJs that play there have such a discography. Everybody in the crowd knows them for their hits, so being able to play in front of that crowd is such a huge opportunity.”
It’s been a rare for Surf Mesa to play Vegas at all. He performed one of his biggest sets at the time during 2021’s Life Is Beautiful, an extra fun experience, he says, since multigenre music fests are his stage of choice.
“I think the crowd is more dynamic, because it’s very digestible to have all kinds of music, and it’s an energy that’s easy to feed off,” he says. “I just played Outside Lands a few weeks ago ,and that topped anything I’ve ever done because of how many people were at the set, like 20,000-plus, just nothing like it.
“When there’s all kinds of genres and artists, it really opens people up to walk around and check out other sets.”
Two days before he takes over XS for a fall Industry Sundays party, Surf Mesa will release latest single “State of My Heart,” a collaboration with singer and writer Nat Dunn. It’s an emotional evolution on his breakout track “ily (i love you baby),” which went to the top spot on U.S. dance radio shots en route to more than 5 billion views online, and his recent Nitti Gritti team-up, “Marching Band,” more of a club-thumper.
“[Dunn] is a writer I looked up to a lot, and she’s done a lot with these really cool house acts like Hayden James and Gorgon City, and she writes a lot for Duke Dumont. Those are some of my favorite artists,” Surf says. “It’s exactly the space that is inspiring me, and we set up this perfect studio session.”
That yielded what he considers one of his most complete songs yet, with a considers one of his most complete songs yet, with a more elaborate structure and a heart-felt message he believes will resonate with lots of listeners.
No doubt he’ll find a way to work “State of My Heart” and other new music into the XS show, a two-hour set that will find Surf Mesa expanding his sound to keep the Vegas audience entertained.
“You have people coming from all different parts of the world, so it can be pretty wide in taste,” he says. “I’ve learned to incorporate more Latin music, a lot of rap and a ton of house music into my set.
“But XS is really a test. You’re really curating an experience for people who might not be there to see you. Probably the majority of people there are there for their own club experience, and you’re kind of in the side pocket. But you also have to impress.”
That hasn’t been a problem yet for Surf Mesa.
SURF MESA October 9, 10:30 p.m., $30-$50+. XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.
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