Thanasi Kastritis

The Night Is Young: Big Gigantic

2/20/14 – House of Blues

For most, living up to a reputation means pressure. For Big Gigantic, it means opportunity. The livetronica-jazz duo from Boulder, Colorado recently headlined House of Blues for their nation-wide Winter Tour to promote the newly released The Night Is Young. Supported by acts gLAdiator and Dark City Agent, House of Blues shook beneath an onset of funky guitar riffs and rippling jazz melodies, courtesy of the group’s live instrument play, which turned out to be a refreshing change from the majority of electronic acts the venue books. Packing in fans from the stage all the way to the back doors, Big G took advantage of a wonderful, interactive crowd, dazzling them with a big, gigantic performance.

Boston-natives kicked things off for the night, giving the audience a taste of the type of music to come. Rolling through their set with a combination of drum loops and dubstep wobbles, the duo improvised on top of the beats with rolling guitar plucks and thundering piano melodies, achieving almost a blend of light and dark music into one solid performance. At the conclusion of their set, they thanked the audience and directed the crowd’s attention to the right side of the stage, where gLAdiator, an LA-based trap/hip-hop DJ duo, came to life.

Playing well-known party favorites such as “Get Low” by Lil’ Jon and the Ying Yang Twins and “Who” by Tujamo & Plastik Funk, the energetic group danced and swayed to their tunes in the most animated manner, much to the delight of the crowd. By the time their set was over, they too thanked the audience for giving them the opportunity to perform, and directed the audience’s attention to the center of the stage, screaming out, “Who’s ready for Big G?!” at the top of their lungs.

The crowd waited and waited for Big Gigantic to come on stage, and there were several moments when they mistook sound technicians for the performers. Whether Big G’s delayed stage appearance was for a thorough sound check or to build up anticipation, it did somewhat lower the energy in the club. But just as the crowd appeared to be getting restless, Big Gigantic came on stage amid a sea of lights, lasers and fog.

Saxophonist Dominic Lalli picked up the mic and let loose a loud, “What’s up Boston?!” that elicited cheers and screams from every inch of the venue. Pointing over to his left, he introduced drummer Jeremy Salken, who waved and saluted the audience with a massive grin on his face. “We’re Big Gigantic, and we’re here to party! Are you guys ready to have a good night?” Dominic shouted. Putting down the mic, he picked up his saxophone, cued up a track, and the magic began.

For two hours the band played hits from The Night Is Young, destroying the dance floor with tracks such as “Clvdbvrst” and “Blue Dream.” Hearing Dominic’s sax through House of Blues’ massive sound system was enough to send chills up anyone’s spine, and you couldn’t help but smile and sway to the smooth groove of Big G’s set. Every now and then Dominic would pick up the mic and check in with the crowd, who maintained their level of energy throughout the night.

A highlight of the show included the group’s performance of lead single “The Night Is Young,” featuring the vocals of rap duo Cherub. The crowd sang along and jumped to the jazz-electro melody while Dominic jumped on top of the stage table and passionately played his sax. Jeremy pounded away on his drum set, swinging his head in circles while his luscious locks of hair fanned in a manner reminiscent of the classic rock and roll head bang. Confetti pumped out of giant funnels on the edge of the stage and brought a smile to everyone’s faces — even the stern-faced House of Blues security guards. Problems forgotten, worries cast aside, it was a moment in time where everyone was focused on the music.

Much of Big G’s success in the music industry should be attributed to their musical versatility, specifically their incorporation of soul and emotion into their tunes. Many relish the fact that Big G shows utilize live instrumentation, which makes the audience feel as if the group is actively making an effort to bring joy to fans rather than just pushing the “play” button. Upon departing the venue, the consensus among partiers was that the group’s performance had exceeded their expectations. Obviously, they expected a Big show, but what they got was Gigantic.