After making waves on Reddit with the release of “Gutter Girl” in 2015, Bay Area natives Hot Flash Heat Wave performed at Gasa Gasa on March 12.

Fellow indie rockers Field Trip and synth pop BOYO opened for them. BOYO played with only a sound box and captivated the audience with his groovy synths and charming falsetto voice. He has a similar vibe to HOMESHAKE, a project created by Montreal-based musician Peter Sagar.

In February, Hot Flash Heat Wave released its EP “Mood Ring.” The recent release has steered off from the summery surf-rock sound, and ventured into the lo-fi “bedroom pop” genre, airy and dream-like. The sound also recalls HOMESHAKE – even the cover art looks similar with its orange tones and geometric shapes.

In 2015, Heat Wave released its first LP “Neapolitan,” featuring the aforementioned hit “Gutter Girl,” which has more than three million plays on Spotify and a endearing retro music video to match.  

Heat Wave is a four-piece band that formed officially in San Francisco in 2015. All the members are from Davis, CA, where they were a part of the music community. Lead vocalists are Ted Davis and Adam Abildgaard.

Duffy’s voice is distinct, while Abildgaard has a softer tone. It came out with its first album, “Neapolitan,” in 2015 and two years later released “Soaked.” Both have a distinct rock sound with heavy guitar.

In its earlier days, Heat Wave did shows in California, opening for bands like Alvvays and Mild High Club. It started doing its own tours in 2017.

At Gasa Gasa, the band played songs mostly from the new EP, which were sung almost exclusively by Duffy. Duffy and Abildgaard contrast well, with the softness of Abildgaard’s voice offsetting the rawness of Duffy’s. “Sky So Blue” is definitely a hit, and has a Tame Impala sound to it.

Hot Flash Heat Wave will continue its tour at SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas.