After arriving at Skyway Theatre, my group found seats at a table to begin watching the musicians perform as well as the crowd file in. Megan Hamilton started the evening promptly at 9 pm, and having seen her perform in Fargo, ND quite a few times I knew her set would be an enjoyable one (as usual). Hamilton is originally from Minneapolis so having a little hometown shout out made it that much more memorable. Having started her musical journey quite some time ago, it’s impressive to see how much movement she’s made and to recognize her progression as it really is incredible. She is always very engaging with the crowd, and puts on an entertaining performance all together. Hamilton made sure to include songs coming from all of her albums, and watching the crowd one could tell that there were some diehard fans out there as the reaction was continuously energetic for the start of each song. Upon conclusion of her set, Hamilton made sure to thank her fans extensively, which showed that she truly appreciates each one of them and music is something she holds close to her heart.
Flamingosis began his set at about 9:30 pm, entertaining the crowd with an interesting visual compilation that went along with his music. Having started his musical career with album releases in 2015, Aaron Velasquez has only climbed up from there. I saw him perform earlier this year with Emancipator, and his performance breaks up the monotony of the typical EDM show adding some of his own unique flare to the evening. Velasquez got his name from a freestyle Frisbee move that his father invented, in turn creating a name that many fans find hard to forget. Throughout his set he played an assortment of songs from all three of his albums: “Kahunastyle” (2015), “Newski” (2015), and “Bright Moments” (2016).
Big Gigantic started their set around 10 pm, and played for the remainder of the evening ending sometime around 12:45 am. Based out of Boulder, Colorado, drummer Jeremy Salken and saxophonist/producer Dominic Lalli, always add an interesting twist to their sets with instruments as well as their usual DJ equipment. The pair played an array of songs from their various albums, but focused primarily on their 2016 album “Brighter Future”. A remix of this album was released in 2017 as well. Due to their great production skills and many guest performers being present in the album, the group ended up placing very high on the electronic charts making it a memorable success in their careers. The pair typically tries to perform at the larger music festivals, and has become one of the well-known names in the EDM scene. This was my first time seeing Big Gigantic perform, and it was certainly one to remember; the crowd definitely proved that as well since the show was announced to be sold out earlier in the week.
The turnout for this show was incredible, but ended up being a little overwhelming at times due to the venue being so busy. I will say though, all of the performers should definitely take the level of attendance for the evening as a HUGE compliment as it shows how large their fan base is as well as how many people out there appreciate their music. Overall, the lineup was great and I thought it was neat how they had a completely separate show going in Studio B. I never made it over there as I was more focused on the primary show. However, I thought this was a great way to not only break up the evening but a great attempt at keeping some of the traffic down the traffic in the main area.
