Of all the DJs who've come through LIV, a 19-year-old may be one of the most talented.
Madeon, the French boy-wonder, has probably one of the most impressive live acts in EDM, considering he actually plays on a Launchpad in conjunction with Ableton and some other goodies.
In a way, it's curious that he would play a venue like LIV, where most of the audience has a weak grip on the concept of DJing, let alone the difference between mixing and live sampling. But where else do you go when you're at the top of the game?
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Before the boyish, suited figure took the stage, the place was busy getting warmed up. The opening DJ was bringing maximum groove appeal, playing a mix of now-classic electro staples from '08 or '09. Shoulders jerked and hips worked as the crowd liquored up and shook off its inhibitions.
Anticipation was mounting as the clock struck 1 a.m. A bunch of confused but pleasantly inebriated dance floor members decided the VJ must be the focal point because of his array of laptops. We had a good laugh watching them cheer on a guy who was working a light show they weren't bothering to look at for a good ten minutes or so before the lights dimmed and Madeon's logo appeared behind the real DJ booth. At that point, the confused partiers kind of humbly figured it out, and the show was beginning.
He opened with a bright and cheerful yet commanding song, busting out his signature moves, hunched over his Launchpad and banging out the bleeps with his spidery limbs, dressed like a downright gentleman. Immediately, the girls in the VIP clamored around the wall dividing them from the young star, who looks more like 12 than almost 20, and pushed over each other to take pictures or vines or instagrams or whatever to prove they were there.
He put his hands up, playing air piano as Empire of the Sun sang out "Loving every minute 'cause you make me feel so alive." You could get the sense that Madeon could mean these lyrics as a love poem to his audience, but at this point, some of the bottle-poppers seemed more engaged with their cell phones than the talented young man. He was going to have to win this crowd over.
Toward that goal, he played a little bit of everything throughout the night. Some less familiar with Madeon's catalogue might think he only has a few hits, or at most a big YouTube video, but he's actually got quite a loaded arsenal. He dropped his recent jam "The City" soon after beginning, and mixed in the classic A-Trak "Heads Will Roll" remix, then really connected with the crowd with some Krewella.
Hot dancer babes strutted about on platforms peacocking in bright blue feathery garments as Madeon put his hands into the air like some kind of lightning rod catching melodies. He took the crowd into the deep end with some harder beats, and now more of the audience was tearing themselves away from their tiny screens, dutifully screaming out for the drops.
