In this modern day and age, I think that it’s safe to say that when it comes to concerts; lighting and stage production/design are arguably just as crucially important as the sound itself for the contemporary “live” experience. People want to be entertained but we are also so easily distracted; so naturally you want to incorporate something that will visually keep your audience tuned in and engaged. Let me tell you that when I say, we are so lucky to be alive at the same time that Justice exists; I truly mean it. The iconic French duo that consists of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay have returned here to play at the United Center, this time partnered with fellow producer and DJ Kaytranada, the Haitian-Canadian music producer.
I’m a huge fan of a GA floor for an arena show as it almost gives the illusion of a much smaller venue and Kaytranada really did his fans a service with this tour as he has been performing “in the round” (middle of the crowd) as opposed to the traditional stage which maximized that intimate feeling in such a massive space. As fans gradually trickled into the colossal arena and flocked to the “B stage” ahead of Kaytranada's performance, I couldn’t help but overhear the buzz throughout the floor expressing the general excitement for Kaytranada. I personally never had the pleasure of experiencing one of his performances before but man was I absolutely hyped to see what everyone was talking about.
Right off the bat, I was hooked. Kaytranada performed a flawless set that seemed to be one long seamless mix with absolute perfect transitions. Performing in the middle of the crowd added so much more life to his set, as some DJ sets can sometimes run dry or feel repetitive, Kaytranada kept it fresh the entire time all while actively engaging with the crowd from every direction around him (quite impressive honestly). Further into his set, the platform he performed on began to rise into the air above the crowd, which almost looked like a UFO headed to the club. It was a unique set and I definitely became a huge fan after getting to experience this set live. I had almost forgotten that we still had a whole other glorious set coming up to experience.
After a very successful 2024 following the release of their fourth studio album, Hyperdrama, Justice decided to embark on one more tour in support of their latest grail. This time around, they took on Chicago’s legendary United Center for an unforgettable set. I can confidently say that Justice has one of the best live productions right now, which truly was the cherry on top of an already spectacular performance. The duo spared no expense with their show's visuals and eruptive sound that they are known for. Their setlist was the perfect blend of old and new material; which was mixed in a way that was very reminiscent of Daft Punk’s Alive 2007 set.
Songs being mixed into each other, new remixed versions of songs and reworks, it was a beautiful blend and culmination of what Justice is and has evolved into as an electronic act over the years. They commenced their set with the thunderous track “Genesis,” reminding the crowd of their pronounced presence on stage. A small part of me was hoping for a guest appearance from Tame Impala given they have collaborated on two rather striking tracks (“Neverender” and “One Night/All Night”) and he had just performed in Chicago right before Justice (maybe a future co-headline tour?). Regardless, hearing and seeing these two tracks live was a treat and the moment has been engraved into my brain forever.
In my opinion, Justice has reached legendary act status. Having such a standout debut is impressive enough but consistently having hits after hits puts them at the legacy mark in my book! In short, Justice and Kaytranada put on one of the best electronic shows I have ever had the opportunity of experiencing. The sound, the endless hits, and the visuals all accumulated to the perfect evening at United Center with two class acts.
