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Justice has risen up pretty quickly, from being just a sidebar to remixed pop tracks, and into the spotlight. The French duo is about as big as you can get in the dance pop world without spilling over completely into the mainstream. Touring with the MySpace brand, however, is one way to put you over the edge. They've amassed a huge following ever since the release of their "Never Be Alone" mash-up in 2003, and have since become more of a household name, with multiple Grammy nominations and media attention for their recent single "D.A.N.C.E." After a slew of EPs, they've finally released their first full length album, Cross, and Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay are now traveling the country making sure that if you didn't know them before, you will now. They played a sold out show last night at the 9:30 Club, a night when the venue felt very much like an actual night club, as opposed to your standard rock show.
We arrived halfway through the opening DJ's set to find the place a sea of flailing arms, gyrating bodies and glow sticks. Busy P (Pedro Winter, who happens to also be Justice's manager) warmed up with the crowd from his simple turntable set-up with both original beats and pop mash-ups, including samples from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Prodigy. The audience was one with the DJ and were just as upset as he was to have something (a bottle or can?) thrown down at him from the balcony above. He finished just before Justice was scheduled to go on, but a seemingly unexpected guest took the stage instead.
D.C.-based hip hop artist, Wale, came out announcing he was late and that he didn't have much time. His DJ was trying to keep everyone interested and during the transition gave too many call-and-response cues to try to get them riled up. "If you're a college student, make some noise! If you have a MySpace, make some noise!..." Wale received mixed reactions, but probably more to do with the surprise performance, and the fact that it wasn't Justice on stage at 10:30. This was made pretty clear when his biggest cheers came with his rap version of "D.A.N.C.E."
15 minutes later the main, much-anticipated act appeared from the darkness behind a giant wall of Marshall speakers and their trademark giant glowing cross. The set opened with the first track off their album of the same name, "Genesis". Gaspard and Xavier worked quickly and silently behind the massive structure, playing mostly off the LP — they didn't speak once throughout the show. It was a multisensory experience, with bass pulsating throughout your body, and an extravagant light display timed expertly with every beat. The man behind the lightwork was hidden in the back of the venue, but was playing the board as if it were a keyboard, with just as much skill as the DJs.
It wasn't long before they worked their way into "D.A.N.C.E", and it was a while before they stopped. The single was remixed into a very extended version, with the lyrics popping up long after you were sure they had moved on. The same went for "Never Be Alone", which had the place chanting the chorus over and over again, pumping their fists and asking only for more. The entire show sort of felt like a live 60 minute EP, a super extended remix of all their work with focus on their bigger pop singles, and hypnotic thumping bass and metal infused sounds bridging the gaps. Justice very rarely left their perch atop the electronic dashboard, but when they did, they were taking photos and video of the crowd, climbing speakers and just having a good time.
The main set ended after about an hour, but they came back out for two encores. The first was very brief, and the second included a slow version of "Never Be Alone" that escalated finally into a climactic symphony of light and sound.
Photo by P373
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"Don't have to ask my name to figure out how cool I am"
"Don't have to ask my name to figure out how cool I am"
good review. lighting looks better than the baltimore show. would've loved to see both to compare.
check www.auralstates.com for our review of the bmore show @ sonar.
Looks like they had more amps at 9:30 than at Sonar too. The Sonar show had Mehdi opening instead of Busy P though...I think Baltimore got the better end of the deal.
Review and photos of the Sonar show on my blog.
Looks like they had more amps at 9:30 than at Sonar too. The Sonar show had Mehdi opening instead of Busy P though...I think Baltimore got the better end of the deal.
Review and photos of the Sonar show on my blog.
Looks like they had more amps at 9:30 than at Sonar too. The Sonar show had Mehdi opening instead of Busy P though...I think Baltimore got the better end of the deal.
Review and photos of the Sonar show on my blog.
head on, apply directly to the forehead.
head on, apply directly to the forehead.
head on, apply directly to the forehead.
Wait, isn't the Justice version called "We Are Your Friends" and not "Never Be Alone"?
And if B'more got DJ Mehdi, then they definitely got the better end. Of course, NYC got DJ Mehdi and Busy P and, even better, Chromeo.