Disclaimer: there is honestly no good way to explain how life-changing Above & Beyond was and continues to be. It's been nearly a week, but music is still ringing in my ears. Call me crazy, but it's something you have to experience yourself in order to understand.
This past Halloweekend, RPM's Pier of Fear hosted yet another extraordinary line-up made up entirely of Anjunabeats artists: Yotto, Grum, Above & Beyond and Jason Ross (set times in that order).
The sold-out show opened doors at 9pm and started at 10pm with Yotto. Running late as usual, we got to Pier 94 much later than expected and I smashed my phone screen into a million pieces in the process(not even mad tbh), but we made it in time to catch Grum in the middle of his set. Despite not being too familiar with him, I thought Grum played a solid set and he had us all pumped for Above & Beyond.
Above & Beyond came on promptly at 1am and the entire room just erupted. As Tony and Paavo (missing Jono this time) appeared on stage, their ABGT200 Intro [ABGT200] filled the air with a melodic piano instrumental. Simultaneously, the screen behind them displayed emotional captures of fans at their shows accompanied by A&B's trademark "typing". Throughout the span of the intro, letters spelled out:
"From MSG to the Beacon, We've Traveled Together.
But Be Scared. Very Scared.
Tonight's All About Group Scarepy."
Right after the typing ended, A&B started picking the pace up with Love On a Real Train [ABGT200] - Tangerine Dream Cover which culminated into the first electrifying drop of the night. Love On a Real Train melted almost seamlessly into the next hauntingly beautiful track Saltwater [ABGT200] - Kryder Remix. Throughout the evening, A&B transitioned between tracks so flawlessly; it was unlike anything else I've heard before.
Three tracks in, A&B played their soon-to-be released Oceanlab song Another Chance. Justine Suisse's enchanting vocals combined with euphoric melodic progressions and a club beat drove the atmosphere towards A&B's signature uplifting sound, which lasted the rest of their 2-hour set.
A&B played favorites from We Are All We Need: Sticky Fingers, Blue Sky Action, Hello/Stealing Time and Group Therapy: Sun in Your Eyes, new song A.I. and also spun remixes of We're All We Need, Alone Tonight and On a Good Day.
♪Find a complete track-list as well as the link to a compiled playlist at the bottom.
The highlight of the night was seriously everything, but to pick a few...
Higher Love - Seven Lions and Jason Ross put us all in a trance; especially when a smooth dubstep drop came in, we all just went "wow".
Hello/Stealing Time has been a track I consistently love hearing A&B play live -- the punchy synths combined with typography "You Had Me At Hello" simply make me smile. It had everyone feeling emotionally elevated...I always feel at the height of bliss with this song.
The feels hit hard when Fly to New York started playing -- our good friend literally flew into NYC for the weekend and we all turned to find him at the same time. One of our friends screamed "my bro flew to New York!!!" and within seconds a rando who heard this swooped our friend up onto his shoulders just as the beat dropped. As lame as it sounds in writing, the moment felt like magic and it'll be ingrained in my memory forever.
A few stand-out visuals included:
Sink the Lighthouse -- green lasers lined the space with one singular white light mimicking the sweeping motion of a lighthouse.
Black Room Boy -- the entire room went pitch black, with white lights flashing on and off
Porcelain Remix - Moby-- primary colored lights turned in a pin-wheel formation
In general, Pier of Fear's light show this year was beyond spectacular. If you looked toward the back of the venue, you could see the sheer amount of lasers being projected, lining the walls like a scene out of The Matrix.
Lastly, A&B closed with their classic Sun & Moon and not a single person wasn't singing. Three lucky fans got to push the button and the final moments of A&B's set were truly beautiful: yellow-toned lights painted the room gold while confetti showered over the crowd. A final typography wrote:
"Feels Like True Group Scarepy.
Life is Made Out of Small Moments Like This.
New York. Thank You."
If you have not seen Above & Beyond and don't feel like my experience has translated well in writing, it's precisely because it doesn't. Above & Beyond brings people together through music; it genuinely feels as if you are connected and united with the people around you. I'm forever grateful to have experienced Above & Beyond live while surrounded by great friends, new and old -- people who love music and love life. I can't even count the number of times we all huddled together in a cheesy circle whenever a special song came on. Being able to sing, dance and simply exist in the moment with people who want to do exactly the same alongside you is the purest form of ecstasy I can ask for.
They say third time is the charm. Well I've been charmed not once, but twice by Above & Beyond. Completely, absolutely, enamored. Can't wait to fall in love again.
Catch Above & Beyond at EDC Orlando this Friday, November 4th. For more tour dates/locations: http://www.aboveandbeyond.nu/tour
Listen Here: Above & Beyond - Pier of Fear
Above & Beyond - ID Intro (from ABGT 200)
Fatum vs. Judah - Love On A Real Train
Chicane - Saltwater (Kryder Remix)
Oceanlab - Another Chance (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
Above & Beyond - ID (from ABGT 200)
Oliver Smith - Endorphin
Above & Beyond - Sticky Fingers
Nick Sember - Sahara
Above & Beyond - A.I.
ilan Bluestone - Bigger Than Love
M.I.K.E. Push - Strange World (Andrew Bayer Remix)
Above & Beyond - Mariana Trench / On My Way To Heaven
Above & Beyond - Balearic Balls
Above & Beyond - Blue Sky Action (Extended Mix)
Above & Beyond - Counting Down The Days (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
Above & Beyond - Peace of Mind (Arty Remix)
Moby - Porcelain (Above & Beyond Remix)
Above & Beyond vs. John Christian - Sun In Your Eyes / Flight 643
Eric Prydz vs. System F - Matrix / Out Of The Blue (Mashup)
Above & Beyond - We're All We Need (ilan Bluestone Remix)
Seven Lions & Jason Ross - Higher Love
Above & Beyond - Hello / Stealing Time
Above & Beyond - Black Room Boy (Above & Beyond Club Mix)
Above & Beyond - Sink The Lighthouse (Maor Levi Remix)
Above & Beyond - Fly To New York (Above & Beyond vs. Jason Ross Club Mix)
Above & Beyond - Alone Tonight (Jason Ross Remix)
Oceanlab - On A Good Day (ilan Bluestone Remix)
Above & Beyond - Sun & Moon (Club Mix - Outro)
