Gorgon City‘s live performance at Avant Gardner’s The Great Hall was a visceral reminder of why I fell in love with Brooklyn almost five years ago.
I had just moved to Brooklyn when Gorgon City’s “Ready for Your Love” was taking off, and I was on my first year working for a music agency. Out of the countless venues across the city, it was Brooklyn’s music scene that stole my heart. There was something about the grungy atmospheres playing stage to some of the best artists in the industry, tucked away in Brooklyn’s quiet streets, that infatuated me.
In 2014 I saw Gorgon City play at an unnamed warehouse in Bushwick. There was no line outside. I distinctly remember the uneasy feeling I had when I shut the door of my Uber and stepped out into the empty street. The door to the makeshift venue opened just as my friend and I approached, and on the other side was a night we’d always remember. The coat check consisted of standalone garment racks in an empty basement. A row of folding tables made due as the bar. Tiny candles lit the stairs leading up to the music. DIY charm aside, I remember the sweet sound of Gorgon City’s bass filling the room. It’s a memory I crave.
On Saturday, Kye “Foamo” Gibbon and Matt “RackNRuin” Robson-Scott, the duo behind Gorgon City, returned to Brooklyn to play at Avant Gardner’s The Great Hall. Although the venue has a real name and is an arena in comparison, it felt like the same well-kept secret I’d stumbled into years ago. Instead of an empty, discerning street, the entrance was lined with ropes designating VIP and Will Call. Instead of a small room where you’d likely see the same people over and over if it weren’t for the flashing lights, groups of partygoers filled the massive space for their big night out.
Joining Kye and Matt on the stage were the very talented vocalists Chenai and Josh Barry. Kye and Matt brought the familiar beats fans love while Chenai and Josh belted the soulful heart found in so many of the duo’s tracks.
The rave-meets-pop concert recipe made for a dance party that delivered the nostalgia of Gorgon City’s older, more raw sounding songs like “Real” and “Unmissable” mixed in with the satisfaction of losing yourself in the never-ending lights and sounds of the warehouse parties people dream of.
It’ll probably be a while before Gorgon City plays another live show in Brooklyn, but if they swing through for a DJ set you’ll most definitely want to Escape into the night with them.
Photo Credit: Olivia Ramirez (@lividivv)
