Sextile, Automatic & Donzii at The Observatory: A Night of Berlin Warehouse-Level Ecstasy
You know those rare shows where the lineup is so perfectly curated that the entire night feels like one seamless, pulsing entity? That was Friday, October 10th, at The Observatory North Park. The bill, featuring co-headliners Sextile and Automatic, transformed the venue into a Berlin warehouse party, delivering an impeccable, high-energy dance performance that left the San Diego crowd breathless and begging for more.
Kicking off the descent was Donzii, who immediately set the night’s subversive, art-freak tone. The band was a revelation, but all eyes were locked on their incredible front woman, who commanded the stage with an awesome weirdness that was part performance art, part post-punk exorcism. They were the perfect chaotic primer. Following them, Automatic took the stage, and the excitement to see them back in San Diego was evident. It’s been far too long since the L.A. trio last graced a stage here, and they returned in absolute peak form. The band—driven by Izzy Glaudini’s icy-cool vocals and hypnotic synths and Halle Saxon’s driving basslines (Lola Dompe was absent)—was pure minimalist power. Their set was a flawless blend of favorites and new material. Their sound is sleek, menacing, and impossibly chic, and it was the perfect bridge to the chaos to come.
Then came Sextile. If Automatic was the cool, controlled burn, Sextile was the explosion. The L.A. duo hit the stage with a mind-blowing, relentless energy that felt both primal and futuristic. The beats were hard, fast, and demanded movement. The crowd, now fully warmed up and surging, responded in kind, turning the floor of the Observatory into a single, heaving mass.
Sextile’s Melissa Scaduto was a captivating force, commanding the stage with raw power. In a move that deeply resonated with the young, conscious audience, Scaduto waved two flags during the set, reflecting the turbulent state of the world. One read, “PEOPLE ABOVE POLITICS,” and the other, “NO ONE IS FREE UNTIL EVERYONE IS FREE.” It was a powerful statement of solidarity that earned a massive response from the crowd, proving that this party had a purpose.
The night’s peak—and the perfect symbol of the two bands’ shared ethos—came towards the end of Sextile’s set. Automatic’s frontwoman, Izzy Glaudini, joined them on stage for a blistering, dance-floor-destroying performance of their collaboration, “Kids.” Seeing Scaduto and Glaudini sharing the mic, two of modern post-punk’s most formidable figures, was a truly special moment.
It was, from start to finish, an unbelievably dancy, sweaty, and cathartic show. This wasn’t just a concert; it was a necessary release. We can’t wait to have them all back.
