Lasers, Lights, and a Saxophone: Big Gigantic Let It Rip in Charlotte
The Live Electronic Music Duo Brings A Dance Party To The Fillmore
The pioneers of live electronic music, Big Gigantic, brought a unique, funky vibe to the Queen City Sunday evening. Wait? What? Live electronic music? Yes, yes indeed. The musical duo of Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken have created a unique entity with Big Gigantic as they blend the very best of electronic music with live instruments crashing down genre barriers with each and every album along the way. The band is currently out on tour in support of their latest album Brighter Future 2 and brought down the house at the Fillmore Charlotte.
The evening would get started early as fans began making their way into the venue dressed for the occasion. This was a dance party after all! Some of the costumes went a bit beyond the typical rave wear as I spotted a light-up panda bear outfit and another patron with a Spam luncheon meat hat on. Right off the bat, you knew it was going to be one heck of a night.
Kicking off the evening was a series of DJs/producers/performers who would get the party started. The first up was the alien beat-maker Ahee who actually won 2nd place for a Big Gigantic remix contest in 2015 and now is on tour with the band! His first song recently hit a million plays so it’s clear Ahee is on the way up and up!
Next up was Jaenga and once he hit the table, I knew his set was going to be something quite special. Jaenga brought the heat, turning up the crowd the whole way. He was laying down the beats and having a great time doing it. Jaenga is definitely not to be missed.
Finishing out this portion of the evening was A Hundred Drums who brought the underground vibe to life as we pulsed and danced and moved our bodies in ways one would think unimaginable. Our hearts pounded as the bass hit until we could feel it deep into our souls. The sweat was dripping and we were all in need of a water break by the end of it all.
After a short, but much-needed break, it was finally time for Big G! The Fillmore absolutely erupted as the venue lights dimmed. We were all super stoked to see what Big Gigantic would bring and the energy level was off the charts. A huge LED screen lit up at the rear of the stage to reveal a raised platform in the shape of a circle which also had an LED screen surrounding it. Dominic’s keyboards and production equipment were set up stage right while Jeremy’s drum kit was situated stage left. Throughout the evening, the LED screens would play a huge part in the show as the visuals accompanied the music, changing designs, pictures, and colors to go with each individual song.
The duo ran out onto the stage, hands raised in the air wearing matching white outfits that resembled baseball uniforms with the letters BG on the left chest. Jeremy ran out to the front of the stage to give the crowd a hello before heading behind his kit while Dominic jogged up to his platform.
One of the things you may not know about Big Gigantic is their musical background. Both Lalli and Salken come from diverse musical backgrounds. Lalli is a classically trained jazz musician holding a Master’s Degree from the Manhattan School of Music and Salken’s touring history includes time with the Victor Barnes Bluegrass Band, not what you might have expected. But this is one of the keys to their success, nothing is off limits as they bring jazz runs and live saxophone to a world of electronic beats and created sounds. It truly is something special and speaks volumes to their talents as musicians as they constantly grow and adapt their sound.
Their set was a great mix of originals, covers, and remixes to the max which is one of the things that makes Big Gigantic so fun. You never know what will happen next. Dominic would come to the front of the stage jamming on his sax amidst a bevy of lasers one minute and the next he was jumping up and down. The vocal tracks on their songs from various guest artists were morphed right into the set seamlessly and if you couldn’t see the stage, you would have thought those artists were there live and in person. We go to hear GRiZ on “Open Your Mind” and Brooke Williams on “Losing My Mind.”
Of course, by this time of the night, we were all losing our minds as we delved into the world of Big Gigantic, leaving our worries and troubles at the venue door and just experiencing each and every moment. Soon it was time to “Keep On Falling” as brilliant, psychedelic images provided the perfect visuals to accompany the song. The fans were dancing and Salken was pounding away on his kit as Lalli encouraged everyone to keep the party going.
Wow! It was a wild and wonderful night with Big Gigantic and no one wanted it to end. If you missed it, you still have a chance to catch the tour as they are out on the road until the middle of March bringing the dance party to a city near you.
Click Here for the Full Gallery of the Evening!
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