100 Gecs Unleash On A Sold Out First Avenue Show

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The excitement in the air as I walked into First Avenue on Tuesday night was palpable. Although the other “adults” had gone straight upstairs as that was the only place to have an alcoholic beverage what with the show being all ages, I found myself being drawn to my normal spot right next to the stage and just on the edge of the crowd. I don’t know why I was drawn to that spot but, once I got my bearings, I knew that this was going to be a hell of a show and I was going to have a front-row ticket.

Aaron Cartier got things started with a very quick yet highly energetic opening set. Although his music definitely wasn’t for me, there was no denying the energy he brought to the stage and audience. He had the sold-out audience pushing, shoving, and jumping their way into a sweaty mess of a crowd and it was honestly a perfect precursor to what was to come from the headliner of Tuesday night’s show. As mentioned, Aaron’s set seemed super short and, in the blink of an eye, he had disappeared from the stage making way for the one and only 100 Gecs.

Where to even begin with 100 Gecs? Their music may not be for everyone but I’ve been hooked since that day I saw them open up for Brockhampton in December of 2019. A bit of chaos, a bit of noise, a bit of angst all wrapped up in a bow of explosive energy, 100 Gecs is one of those bands that you just have to see live to really understand. Made up of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, 100 Gecs took the stage to a roar of applause, screams, screeches, and a flurry of activity on the floor. Within seconds, the excited audience (who had calmed down if only slightly after the opening set) erupted back into a sweaty mess. 

About halfway through the opening track of their set, the music cut out completely and the club was left in silence. The abrupt pause seemed to catch everyone off guard both on and off the stage but the audience was too excited to stop so as the band and their techs worked through the issues, the audience continued partying as if the band was still on stage. Complete with an impromptu happy birthday song, the pause in the show seemed to last much longer than it probably did but as soon as the power came back to the computer and the microphones, 100 Gecs picked up right where they left off as if nothing had ever happened. Although it definitely wasn’t a highlight of the night or anything and it made me feel super bad for the duo, seeing the band not miss a single beat after what could have been a catastrophic equipment malfunction definitely won them some points with me (as if they needed more points).

With only one album out and one on the way, I honestly wasn’t surprised when their set lasted just under an hour in length but I was a bit bummed. The energy throughout the room during their performance was out of control and I was loving every minute of it. Much like their music, there was a sense of chaos throughout the room. I’ve been to a lot of super-packed shows lately but Tuesday nights absolutely took the cake for the hottest (which I came to find out was because one of the air conditioner units crapped out at some point during the show) and craziest crowd. I watched as people stumbled out of the heart of the crowd absolutely drenched in sweat and just trying to catch their breath. Although I didn’t seem to have the energy to jump into the mess, just being able to see people being spat out like that made me smile from ear to ear as I remembered being that young and full of energy and excitement. 

Although I felt a bit out of place at the show on Tuesday night, it was one of the better ones I’ve seen lately. The amount of energy that came from the band and audience alike was absolutely staggering and although I think my ears may have been bleeding at one point in the night just due to how loud everything was, I wouldn’t trade it for anything,

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