chemical brothers los angeles shrine expo hall

Of course, those Las Vegas hotel residencies sure do help their cash flow. Just look at what Calvin Harris, Diplo, Skrillex, Zedd or The Chainsmokers are bringing home if you don’t believe me (hint: it’s well over eight figures). Sure, some of the UK duo’s counterparts such as The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim were attracting more mainstream appeal around the same time, but that commercial success at the height of the big beat movement doesn’t hold a candle to what many of the biggest EDM stars today are amassing in the social media age. The Shrine is not for every act, but for those with the wherewithal to fill it like the Chemical Brothers, possibilities present themselves.When former childhood classmates Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons burst onto the scene in the mid-to-late 90’s as The Chemical Brothers, electronic music for most was still a relatively new phenomenon - even in their home country of England. With the crowd moving such much already, the inflatables only added to the fun. Honestly, the most stimulating props ended up being a set of giant balloons unleashed upon the audience. A group of dancers in suits resembling the wrinkles of a Shar Pei stood out with their fleshy rolls, and two gigantic, wind-up robots appeared for a brief but entertaining appearance. does much more than whip their hands in the air–which is fine! Some elements, such as the neon computer face used in “Hey Boy Hey Girl,” felt like the standard tricks pulled at other electronic performances, Disclosure’s own imagery coming to mind. Visual elements accompanied each of these songs since neither of the Bros. This blast from the past opened a portal to the rest of history, which included famed hits of their own such as “Elektrobank” as well as a cover of New Order’s “Temptation.” After a few cuts from Born in the Echoes and No Geography, their latest, “Swoon” swept itself into the mix. reminded us of their extensive, 20+ year career by submerging us beneath it. Humanoid figures and faces lived out their short-lived, repetitive lives behind the duo’s production space, which one figure appeared to dive into at the show’s onset.įrom there, the Chemical Bros. Beginning with the Q-Tip-assisted “Go!” the duo played against an ever shifting backdrop of neon green lines and shapes. Speaking of active hands, two gigantic, laser pink hands were one of the first visuals used at the start of the Chemical Brothers. That was not often, but crafting quality aural entertainment requires active hands. For her part, she looked thrilled, throwing her hands up whenever she got the chance to take them off her boards. The gays don’t just appear in droves for anyone (you need to prove your talent to us), and I loved seeing an act as unapologetically queer as Marea Stamper attract the same, fearless crowds. When I entered the venue, I was pleasantly struck by the number of queer people present in the crowd.

And where that type of ‘80s sonic euphoria goes, queer people follow. Her proclivity for tasteful, driven synths and disco provided a warm up to the Brothers’ eventual onslaught of sound. To be fair, I cannot speak with firsthand experience to the Brothers’ Greek show, but I can say that the balloons they unleashed at the Shrine would not be as fun when you’re seated in an amphitheater.īefore the electronic duo took the stage, Black Madonna warmed the crowd up with a 90 minute set. Because of this, an act like Uchis failed where the Chemical Brothers exceled, and vice versa. The Shrine excels when you see an act with a strong visual element and tunes that induce hip shaking. I bless my stars I caught them at their earlier show. The Chemical Brothers, whom I witnessed at this past week at the Shrine, are more suited towards the Auditorium than the Amphitheater, though they just so happened to play both venues one after the other. Amazing what a scene change and a few months of practice makes – Uchis delivered at a level I never expected from her. However, I just so happened to luck out with a friend who invited me to her double bill with Jorja Smith at the Greek Theatre.

The venue failed to carry her sound at all, and at that point she boasted few visuals that would help her fill such a space. For example, I saw Kali Uchis for the first time at the Shrine Auditorium at USC, and it overwhelmed her.

Chemical brothers los angeles shrine expo hall