Love Conquers the Cold at Above & Beyond
Tyler Lavoie ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
In the middle of February, getting to the House of Blues is a challenge. After a sub-zero walk and a hellish box office, I finally entered through the “Foundation Room” doors. When I stepped onto the dance floor, my fingers could barely move enough to present my ticket.
By the time I thawed out, the venue itself had warmed up. Opening DJ and fellow Anjuna Beats artist, Lane 8, spun house music while the audience filtered in. The audience was an eclectic mix. Costumed “festies” shared their love with elderly Boston natives, enthusiastic high schoolers, and BU college bros. I chatted with a married couple who weren’t into EDM, had seen Above & Beyond six times, and practiced photography on their days off. Later, a white-haired man in a Bassnectar jersey, accompanied by a woman in full Hello Kitty gear, danced between disoriented conversations with my friends.
When Above & Beyond walked onstage, it was clear that something united the audience. A minute into the set, the floor exploded with a trance beat and a light show that would put festival headliners to shame. Images of nature flickered across a gigantic screen. Everyone, despite their diverse backgrounds, sang to the unifying, compassionate music of Above & Beyond.
Throughout the show, the group occasionally stepped away from their controllers to type messages to the audience. At one point, they claimed that everyone had warned them of Boston’s apocalyptic weather, but no one told them how beautiful it would be.
This sums up the experience in a nutshell. Despite the snow, despite the travel, and despite the fact that trance music is no longer the king of the EDM world, Above & Beyond hope to breathe warmth into their shows. And, judging by the crowd’s energy, they are successful.
