For all the sad souls that were stuck in the library this Sunday, I express my sincere apologies. With the streets as dead as ever, The Chainsmokersshow was invigorating at Liquid nightclub and made for the perfect Sunday funday. Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall are the members of this electronic duo based out of New York. Many see their mainstream releases, such as the single “#Selfie,” as being for the “basic” listeners in the audience. However, The Chainsmokersare setting trends and making simple ideas into wonderful mixes. The entire lineup for the night was stacked with impressive talent, so I made sure to arrive early to see the entire event.
When Louis The Child started, there was already a large crowd grooving. This EDM duo, based out of Chicago, is already big enough to headline their own events. After playing their single, “It’s Strange,” Shawn Frank took the stage and picked up on the club vibe for his set. Frank emulated how his hometown of Toronto gets down. He has a slick track out that is climbing the charts titled “This Could Be Love” on which he collaborated with Borgeous,who will be in town this December. Matoma, the final opener of the night, was a familiar face and the original reason I wanted to attend the show. After seeing his set at Bonnaroo, I had been waiting for some new tracks from him. Matoma is the type of artist that sounds way better when you can see his goofy frame jumping around the stage—not to knock on his online streams, but this is a “you needed to be there” moment. On his recent eight-track EP, “Hakuna Matoma,” Matoma featured artists such as Jason Derulo, Jennifer Lopez and Nico & Vinz, among others. The club was packed and Matomafinally dropped one of his biggest songs, “Old Thing Back,” which really got the blood pumping.
The venue turned into a hot mob of dedicated concertgoers as The Chainsmokers unveiled their impressive light show rig. Instead of opening with a song, they began with the perfect chant for the audience: “Eat Chips, Fondue!” I saw the duo last spring when they headlined the Revelry Arts and Music Festival, but this show was a lot more intimate, as they had just come off the release of their first EP, “Bouquet.”
With subtle references to being back in Madison to hype the crowd, the duo put on an incredible show. They performed some older tracks and covers before moving onto the new songs. The Chainsmokersdropped “Waterbed” and followed up with “Until You Were Gone.” These guys don’t let you take a breath during sets, and didn’t stop with the trap remixes until everyone was either passed out or hugging the closest person for support. If this wasn’t enough, they came out in their boxers and performed an encore with Matoma. Finally, they played the biggest hit off of the EP, “Roses,” and closed out the night. The Chainsmokers’ progress between visits to Madison was incredible to see, and I’m glad I’ve had the fortune to see them twice in one year.
