Afrojack at The Congress Theater | Review

Afrojack

Courtesy of: Ace Agency

Without a doubt, EDM was alive at The Congress Theater on Saturday night. Quintino, Rehab and Shermanology, dubbed the “JACKED team,” psyched up the crowd—a mix of girls sporting glitter and brightly colored tutu’s and guys donning customized shirts of a green cereal box that replaced the words Apple Jacks with Afro Jacks. This is what we have come to know as the electronic dance music culture.

Yet by midnight, the lyrics “I Think It’s Time To Let You Know” echoed through the sold-out theater accompanied by a melodic mash-up of the Dutch sensation's catchiest tunes. As the three-minute countdown built up tension and excitement, all eyes were focused on the starry main stage. A figure adorned in a hoodie appeared, raised his right arm into the smoke infused air and asked, “Are you ready for some Afrojack music?” As he dropped the beat, the crowd went ballistic.

There was no shortage of confetti, laser-light shows and champagne showers throughout his two-hour set as he dropped classics like “No Beef” featuring Steve Aoki and his biggest hit to date, “Take Over Control” featuring Eva Simmons. The energy and optimism of Afrojack’s music was evident through his body language, which pumped up fans and created a euphoric atmosphere.

Part of what brings thousands of fans out to each show is the fact that no set is ever the same; Afrojack’s concerts give fans the chance to hear the latest unidentified and unreleased remixes first. Straying from his poppy dance-infused tunes mid set, he switched to a darker hard-style sound, with his unreleased remix of Psy’s Korean hit, Gangnam Style. Looping the catchy lyrics “Baby Put Your Hands High” amidst a heavy bassline, his most recent remix of Kristy’s “Hands High” was also a crowd pleaser.

Fans belted out the lyrics to “Can’t Stop Me Now” featuring Shermanology in unison as the show came to a wrap. There are plenty of reasons why Afrojack is one of the top DJ’s in the EDM scene—his ability to unite such a diverse group of people through a song is definitely one of them.