On Friday, April 7th, 2017, the dynamic duo known as Galantis took to the stage at Hammerstein Ballroom.
Galantis are known for their ingenuity and originality, and to cater to the needs of the Galantis concert, Hammerstein Ballroom completely revamped its layout. The floor level was completely swept clear, devoid of any objects, shaping as the perfect space to squeeze in as many concertgoers as possible.
At the front of the room stood the stage, and atop of the stage was a raised platform, serving as a podium for Galantis to perform. In front, and behind, of this platform was decked out with graphical displays, which altered for each song. In the middle of the platform was the DJ booth, and at the rear end of the platform was a set of drums, which excitingly, Galantis banged on live for various different songs. This is a classic move that Galantis has done at previous concerts, so it was exciting for an old-school fan like me to see them go back to their roots.
From the get go, the Ballroom was packed, understandably so, as the show was completely sold out. It was quite a young crowd, which meant they were not as matured as you would hope concertgoers to be. They had no consideration for space, were quick to get rowdy, and as a result of this, the older fans all moved to the back of the room, aching to get as far away from the commotion as possible. Hammerstein Ballroom was completely packed to the brim; even the VIP balconies were exploding with bodies, showing just how popular Galantis is.
The concert began with some of the DJs’ newer, and perhaps less well known songs – a couple that even I didn’t recognize, but three songs in, and they were playing the songs that we all know and love. It was a smart set by Galantis; they started off with their greener songs, and then progressed the show by gradually playing more well known songs, leading up to a climax of their greatest hits.
While the crowd was involved in the music throughout the concert, it wasn’t until the band played their hit ‘No Money’, that the crowd got amped and went wild. When this classic came on, the floor literally started moving because so many people were jumping to the music at the same time. The impact was huge. This kind of reaction would come and go in waves; ‘Gold Dust’ and ‘Love on Me’ were some other particularly communing songs for the audience. Clearly proud of their newest hit, Galantis actually played ‘Rich Boy’ twice during their set, and both times, the audience went crazy for it.
In a similar way to the progression of the music, the graphics became more complex as the show went on. I was a little underwhelmed by the graphics at the beginning – they were bold and fast, but uninventive, reminding of the screensavers I used to see on Windows monitors. That being said, I was extremely impressed with the graphics as the show continued, I would go as far as to say that the displays were beyond the stratosphere of what we are used to graphically, both futuristic and artistic, one graphic oozing into the other, complementing the music, and pleasing the eye. One running theme for the graphics throughout the show was the continuous occurrence of the cat logo that Galantis is famous for. It was a nice homage to what they stand for and represent.
The way that Galantis interact with the audience is to be admired. At select moments in the show, one of the members of Galantis would stand atop the raised platform, and directly address the audience. I specifically remember one of these moments being during ‘In My Head’, when one of the DJs stood on top of the DJ set, and proudly declared: “New York fucking City, hold those beautiful hands up, and reach them to the mother-fucking sky”, after which he started a countdown to the drop. When the drop hit, the crowd exploded, jumping up and down, reaching their hands as high as they would go. This is a reaction that can only be prompted when the DJ gives the audience some love.
One of the things I find most impressive about Galantis is their ability to take remarkably popular songs, and revamp them in a way that stays true to the original, yet spruces it up in a entirely new and exciting way. There were a number of songs they did this with throughout their set, notably mashups of Twenty-One Pilot’s ‘Ride’, Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’, and Clean Bandit’s ‘No Place I’d Rather Be’ – all of which were artistic musical genius, remixed to perfection. I also always appreciate when DJs play songs during concerts that are not on their albums – its helps the audience feel like they are witnessing something special; a once in a lifetime experience, which you can only witness if you see Galantis in person.
As the concert drew to a close, it was encore time; Galantis replayed ‘No Money’, and then ended on ‘Runaway’, leaving the audience amped and satisfied that all of their favorites were played. It was another raving success from the DJ duo, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store.
