On the night of March 29, The Warfield burst with pops of orange and pulpy excitement as Emotional Oranges fans filled the venue.
From dainty tangerine earrings and apricot-hued bucket hats to vivacious orange feathered tops, almost every fan paid homage to the band through their outfits. The sweet, tangy and devoted energy of San Francisco seemed a deserving stage to Emotional Oranges’ penultimate stop of the “Pulp Fiction” tour.
From its conception, Emotional Oranges stepped into the world as a brand. Members A and V are titillatingly elusive: The pair initially kept their identities a secret, making way for a laid-back, stylish confidence that let their music speak for itself.
The stage greeted fans with an animated screen counting down to the show, anticipation swelling to its peak as the crowd yelled “Three, two, one!” The audience was eager, exhilaratingly pliable and ready to receive Emotional Oranges.
Setting the tone of the night was “Personal,” a playful and confident track off their first record. From the second A and V took the stage, they made it clear that they weren’t just singers, but performers in every sense of the word. They sang to the backdrop of the song’s mesmerizing visualizer, V dancing to the front row to elicit screams from adoring fans.
“San Francisco,” A said, “I feel like you guys never let me down. This is the most lit crowd we’ve had all tour!”
Intention is the crowning jewel of an Emotional Orange show. Whether it be the way A and V held their mics, the stage lighting, the props, the live instrumental production or the way V’s hair swished to the rhythm of the music, the details were distinct. Every part of their performance felt polished, choreographed and delivered with intention. There were no loose ends or dropped cues, emphasizing the band’s commitment as performers and respect for their craft.
Thankfully, the night was far from over as racer-jacket-clad A and V electrified the rest of their set. They were masters of momentum, riding their fans’ up-tempo energy to its peak before slowing it down with a sensual dance solo after “She Got A Man.” V wore her music like a second skin. As she basked in the salacious spotlight, she embodied every note of the instrumentals. The crowd was entranced in hush silence, all eyes on V.
Though she blossomed on the lone stage, V felt just as at home sharing it with A. The duo performed with a rare, intangible chemistry that made them the main characters of each song, the muse of each lyric. This saturated each track with a narrative that empowered every fan who sang along. Emotional Oranges’ discography spans across multiple subjects — from love, money and even mutual masturbation, the range paves plenty of common ground for all listeners.
In a particular heartwarming moment, the pair extended the microphone to a front row fan who turned out to be a longtime listener.
“We’ve been rocking with you since 2018,” the fan said to the now- (per their namesake) emotional A and V. “We’ve been to every concert in San Francisco and Sacramento from the start since The Juice: Volume I.”
Because of their enigmatic, smooth personas, one could expect Emotional Oranges to keep a distance from their fans, maintaining their role as artists. However, this interaction was only one of many instances in which A and V were nothing but affectionate and engaging. They kept the energy alive, flocking to front row fans and dedicating each song to the crowd — all smiles.
It doesn’t get more West Coast than California, and this show’s rendition of “West Coast Love” epitomized this anthem’s spirit to the highest degrees.
“Can we take it back to the Bay when we bounced to the sound of my favorite band playing?” V sang with relish as the crowd yelled the line with the same satisfaction.
Ending the night with a choreographed, participatory dance to “Slide All Night,” Emotional Oranges had fans moving from start to finish. Though their latest album, The Juice, Vol. III, marked the end of a trilogy, San Francisco can’t wait to see what’s next for Emotional Oranges.
