Porter Robinson and Madeon commenced their much anticipated Shelter Tour back in late September and recently played two back-to-back sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in NYC on 11/17 & 11/18. The event took place at The Theatre, which holds roughly from 2000 to 6000 people.

Fans of Porter and Madeon have eagerly awaited this collaboration tour since the release of their single "Shelter" and the announcement of the tour. Since his Spitfire EP, Porter has attracted a huge, loyal fanbase following that has propelled him into mainstream EDM popularity. His Worlds album (2014) intensified this fanbase and the accompanying Worlds tour still continues to draw more listeners and fans in. Madeon has gained widespread support for his musical genius and pure production skills and delivered his debut album Adventure in 2015.

Despite the heated debate over Worlds and how hyped it may or may not have been, the Worlds tour undeniably made its mark on the scene and generated an explosive response. Porter didn't revolutionize EDM, but he showcased new sounds to a "stagnant" scene that was sometimes recycling ideas. Sure, Porter may not have been creating ground-breakingly new music, but he positioned himself to play unique live sets to huge crowds on MainStages at big festivals -- which makes all the difference. I think that the Worlds album -a great album, but definitely overhyped- serves as a stepping stone for the Worlds tour, which combined with fantastic live edits and visual designs, is the epitome of an mind-blowing live show. With that in mind, Porter's tour already places high in my book of best live shows so the addition of Madeon has the potential of creating an even better experience.

Surprisingly, a large amount of friends expressed interest in the Shelter Tour, many of whom are unfamiliar with EDM. While Porter is popular within mainstream EDM, Madeon is more playable to non-EDM ears. In this regard, the collab tour has seen success in attracting in a broad spectrum of audiences. Despite the two having distinctly different sounds, the collaboration seemed unconsciously natural.

By the time the openers finished, the venue was packed to the brim.

As the lights dimmed, an instrumental intro opened up the stage for Porter and Madeon, who walked out to a cheering crowd. They took their spots on stage in front of a glimmering backdrop of animated green lights as "Shelter" played. Electrifying visuals flashed to the beat of the song as the entire theatre was awash with the signature green color reminiscent of the "Shelter" artwork.

Madeon sang live and did so throughout the show to most of his songs; Porter also showcased his voice for his songs and Madeon's "Finale" and "Beings". The live singing not only maintained the pacing of the show, but also demonstrated the duo's artistry. It was incredibly refreshing to hear great live vocals from a genre of music that mostly lacks it. The two also interchangeably played live keys and drum pads for a majority of the show.

Next, they played a live mashup of Porter's & Matt Zo's "Easy", Madeon's "Pay No Mind" and Porter's remix of Nero's "The Thrill". Combined with a backdrop of sunset-palette colors, the mashup was done flawlessly and set a precedent for the rest of the show. Porter sang live for crowd-favorite "Sad Machine", which they then mixed with Madeon's "You're On". Not only was the mixing seamless, but also the visuals built off each other. It's easy to tell that hours of work went into creating a visual direction that matched the musical one.

A few of my favorite mashups/remixes from the night were OK vs. Albatros vs. Lionhearted, Finale vs Cut the Kid (the live edits really highlighted Madeon's bright punchy synths), Fresh Static Snow remix, and Home remix (which featured a live Shelter synth lead). For the full tracklist, click here.

They ended with "Goodbye to a World", the backdrop splitting into two screens with one on Madeon's side typing out the vocaloid's singing in Japanese and the other on Porter's side in English. The track rewinded and faded out into static before the duo left the stage. They came back on promptly for the encore and performed a raw version of "Shelter" standing up at the front of the stage -- Madeon with a microphone and Porter with the keyboard. As Madeon finished the verse the second time round, he sang the ever-familiar line "I'll be okay", cueing "The Language" and confetti. We all knew "The Language" was coming, but it still feels amazing when it drops and personally, I feel like this song is the best way to end any Porter set.

Bonuses: during the outro, Madeon said his favorite city is NYC (holla). Porter also said that him and Madeon first met at Webster Hall which was sick considering they played the after party at Webster.

I had high expectations for the Shelter Tour and they were 200% met. The show exhibited the thematic and emotional chemistry that Porter and Madeon songs have with each other. Watching each artists ideas projected visually and audibly, first individually and then intertwined together was an experience in itself. Porter and Madeon themselves also brought an irreplaceable energy to the stage that spoke to their friendship and respect for each other. They were in sync with each other throughout the entire show, that being reflected through how conceptually harmonious the performance was.

I'm still amazed at how well-paced the concert was; there wasn't a single dull moment, yet vocal or slower instrumental transitions still left room to relax and breathe. The mashups were just enough to let the audience satisfy their desires to hear the original tracks before changing it up to the next song, the combination of both Porter and Madeon's tracks ping-ponging off each other keeping it perpetually interesting. Porter has previously emphasized the importance of visuals during his Worlds tour and this tour turned out no different with the visual production being stellar. At times when tracks layered on top of each other, visuals would do the same with previous imagery being integrated with new imagery. Other parts of the set, the lights acted like a visual drumset, flashing on and off or sweeping across the venue to the rhythmic patterns of the music. Inevitably, the dynamics between visual and musical production played a significant part in why the Shelter Tour turned out the level of brilliant it did.

Ultimately, the show was truly an artistic performance put on by two extremely creative producers. The Shelter Tour will leave you feeling emotionally elevated because it's honestly a beautiful experience.

Porter and Madeon still have a few tour dates left!! Catch them here: https://shelterlivetour.com