CONCERT REVIEW: The Chainsmokers Use Every Trick In The Book During Epic Amsterdam Show

Last night we did something a bit out of the ordinary: we attended a show that’s a little bit different than the shows we usually go to. We went to see The Chainsmokers live in the Ziggo Dome. Of course, one can argue they’re semi-relevant, as they’ve done songs with 5 Seconds of Summer and Blink-182, but truthfully, the show and the whole concert experience from The Chainsmokers felt very different to us than our ‘regular’ concerts within the alternative spheres.

For one, The Chainsmokers didn’t really have a setlist. Instead, they played a whole lot of songs from their own discography, with bits and pieces from several remixes of those songs in between. At times during the show, The Chainsmokers didn’t even focus on their own music, but rather played a dubstep-like set with remixes from a whole array of songs, including Everytime We Touch by Cascade, the hit song from 12 years ago.

The Chainsmokers did kick-off their set with the single from the most recent album So Far So Good: High. What makes The Chainsmokers special, at least to us, is their live line-up. While the group is EDM, Drew Taggart sings a lot live, and they even have a phenomenal drummer Matt McGuire who himself had a few tricks up his sleeve during the intense live show.

Speaking of tricks up their sleeves, witnessing The Chainsmokers live is a sensation for multiple senses. The music is catered towards a dancing crowd, with lots of drops and catchy melodies if they were not playing music of their own, making sure the crowd was excited throughout and uninterruptedly during the 100-minute lasting set. But that’s only half of what made this performance stand out. The Chainsmokers truly pulled out all the stops production-wise. A choreographed sequence of effects that included lasers, pyro, fireworks, confetti and drummer Matt McGuire drumming with drumsticks that were on fire made for this performance to be one of the most captivating ones we have witnessed ever. While DJ Alex Pall was making sure the music was on point, DJ and vocalist Drew Taggart often jumped down their platform to give the front-row fans some facetime

Music-wise I can almost guarantee you have at least heard one song from The Chainsmokers, whether that be Something Just Like This (with Coldplay) or Closer (with Halsey), there is something familiar in the setlist for all. Luckily for us, the new album So Far So Good also got some live coverage, with extended versions and remixes of High, Riptide and iPad. You did notice the audience reacting in an even bigger way when the bigger hits were performed, rather than the newer or lesser-known tunes. I guess the crowd at an EDM show also differentiates from those at shows within our alternative scene, where often every song, not just the popular ones, is being sung as loud and as enthusiastically as the next one.

In conclusion, while it was a whole different ballgame, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time with The Chainsmokers. It was a nice, welcome change of pace for one night and you can get a glimpse of the epicness we witnessed through the photos by Eva van den Bosch in the gallery below.

Glenn van den Bosch

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