Last Saturday Above & Beyond made their way across the Atlantic for the second portion of their Group Therapy North America Tour, stopping through Chicago to perform at the Congress Theater alongside Matt Zo and Cosmic Gate. After DJ Magazine named them “a genuine phenomenon… the biggest electronic DJing and production collective the UK has ever produced”, I had to go see what their live show was all about. Being a fan of their work and their TATW series, I was excited for what I was about to witness firsthand.
We hit Congress Theater just before 11 which made for perfect timing because Mat Zo opened (who I wanted to see but missed sadly), Above & Beyond took the stage at 11, and Cosmic Gate was the closer. After getting through security, we made our way inside to see Mat Zo finishing up his set. I will say this, if you don’t know who Mat Zo is and have never listening to his music, do so. He’s making some serious headway in the EDM industry and he’s one of my “must-watch” artists of 2012.
The lights went dim, the crowd screamed, and Above & Beyond made their way to the DJ booth, hands raised in the air as they waved to the crowd. It was only Tony and Jono though which left me wondering where Paavo was. Regardless, the show started and the crowd proceeded to dance for another two straight hours. The production of their show was an intricate part of their whole set. While it wasn’t the best light show I’ve ever seen, it took a minimalist approach but still left me saying “whoa”. Their backdrop displayed positive messages like “remember to fall in love” while including motion graphics of a globe of the world and an astronaut floating through space to their records like “Sun & Moon” and the club mix of “On My Way To Heaven”.
After their set, Tony made his way to the front row to greet fans and sign a few autographs – something we don’t see very often from the artists who come through Chicago. I think it adds a nice little touch and since Trance is all about love and caring for one another, it was a perfect cap to their set. All in all, amazing show, amazing music, and I will definitely be seeing Above & Beyond again when I have the opportunity. I recommend you do the same. You can check out the rest of their North American tour dates after the jump and enjoy the visuals above!
Group Therapy North America Tour 2012 – Part Two
May 11 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
May 12 Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
May 15 Las Vegas, NV @ LAVO
May 17 Los Angeles @ The Shrine
May 18 Los Angeles @ The Shrine SOLD OUT
May 19 Los Angeles @ The Shrine SOLD OUT
May 20 Las Vegas, NV @ Marquee Dayclub
May 25 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Event Center
May 26 Las Vegas, NV @ Marquee Nightclub
June 01 Atlanta, GA @ Opera
June 02 Charlotte, NC @ The Phoenix
June 03 Miami, FL @ Amnesia
June 08 Las Vegas, NV @ Electric Daisy Carnival
June 16 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
June 21 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
June 22 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield SOLD OUT
June 23 Seattle, WA @ The Paradiso Festival
July 18 Detroit, MI @ Global Dance Festival, Royal Oak
July 19 Minneapolis, MN @ Global Dance Festival, The Brick
July 20 Kansas City, MO @ Global Dance Festival, The Midland Theater
July 21 Morrison, CO @ Global Dance Festival, Red Rocks
August 31 New York, NY @ Electric Zoo Festival (Group Therapy Stage)
September 01 New York, NY @ Electric Zoo Festival (Main Stage)
