Nanao Tavito is a strange fellow. He is an accomplished pop musician and also a very avant-garde artist. Neither of these sides to him seem to outshine the other, and he is at his strongest when the two work together as they did at his White Stage set Friday afternoon.

His performance had an air of casual confidence not many artists can bring to a stage as large as the White one. Pop ballads and droning songs over quasi ethnic beats. Engaging though downbeat and relaxing. He is an artist who changes from one moment to the next, and it was a show where it was best to expect the unexpected (this is, after all, the guy who recorded a concept album about the 9/11 terror attacks). The crowd was grooving easily right along with his set, a comfortable afternoon vibe. Towards the end, however, when the familiar opening to his 2010 hit song Rolling Rolling (recorded with Yakenohara) broke through through the afternoon gray, the chill-out session warmed up and inched towards a party as people started to stand, loosen up and move their bodies. The capper was Nanao himself leaving the stage to join the crowd.

Nanao Tavito’s set provided the perfect forward momentum for the day, as the causal morning began to segue into the electricity of the night.