By Daniel Paiz
There are tours that are a complimentary mix of sounds and styles, and this co-headliner tour was exactly that. Justice, Kaytranada, and Sam Gellaitry electrify Ball Arena during their Denver tour stop to open up November, and it was a mixture of all kinds of tunes. Each artist gave fans all kinds of reasons to groove and bounce around, as they shifted between popular jams and underrated joints.
Sam Gellaitry
“Start Up A Rumor”, “Assumptions” and several other rhythmic selections introduced this Scottish DJ to a growing crowd of ravers. Gellaitry is the youngest of DJs listed on the marquee, and initially that was a bit evident in the vibes behind the deck. The “Love On Me” creator seemed a bit mellow for his set, perhaps due to the constant travel that goes with touring, or maybe the altitude of the Mile High City also played a role.
As his set progressed, the crowd became more and more engaged. The opener didn’t speak to the crowd on the mic, but he did put the crowd on notice that he has a musical bag to pull from. Opening for such big acts has to be tough, but Gellaitry did a dutiful job of getting the grooves going.
Kaytranada
If there was a song you were hoping for Saturday night, Kaytranada likely played it. “10%”, “Witchy”, and “You’re the One” were among a sonic smorgasbord of bouncing and grooving tunes wafting through the speakers. The co-headliner from Quebec clearly enjoyed his time in his lifted stage, as the hovering platform slowly rose to the rafters about halfway through his set.
Lights across the rainbow flickering indiscriminately was the vibe throughout Kaytra’s set. The veteran producer slash DJ spoke to the crowd here and there, gauging their energy and enticing them to shake it a little bit more. This Montreal stalwart delivers what feels like a flawless set every time he performs, and Denver’s tour stop was no different.
What’s impressive to this listener is how he made the most of his limited oval platform, at least when compared to the main stage used by both Sam Gellaitry and Justice. To constantly be moving, selecting songs, and engaging the crowd while suspended at various heights during one’s set deserves all the praise. Fans new to this artist on Saturday night truly received an epic musical gift.
Justice
The Parisian duo wasted no time showcasing their musical fusion of house, disco, rock and more as “Genesis” kicked off the final set of the night. Gaspard and Xavier incorporate not only an orbit of sounds, but a spectral cacophony of lights that blind and highlight where the sounds are headed. Behind these two were a wall of machinated madness, luring in one’s eyeballs while their ears are preoccupied with benevolent beats.
There’s a sense of duty as these two are on the decks. They are laying the foundation of groove as the night continues, and they do so to welcome in listeners to their church of EDM. As silly as that sounds, Justice is comprised of two fellas wearing masks most of the night.
However, these masks aren’t robotic nor physical, but rather they consist of stoic glances instead. Their focus is ephemeral, although from time to time they do acknowledge the crowd. This is to confirm to the screaming and dancing throngs of people that they appreciate the feedback and participation. Music can lead to witnessing community and humanity, and that appears the utmost goal of the French selectors.
To close out the night, fans are treated to remixing Justice tracks with musical stylings across several other genres. This part is the Jazz of the night, the improv and freedom of showing just how much music these two can pull from. The masses have stood at the altar of Justice, receiving a musical baptism.
Cypher Sessions 