There aren’t any words for what Chicago experienced at the Concord Music Hall last Saturday. The city was blessed with not two, but three incredibly talented artists. The Lunatic Tour brought to you by React Presents showcased REZZ and Malaa as well as supporting artist Bentley Dean.
With a jam-packed crowd at Concord, you could say it just about sold out. There was just shoulder to shoulder standing room, Chicago was ready for the bumping beats these artists were about to bring. With dubstep and house being two distinctly different genres, showgoers were blessed with a beautiful mix of the two. These artists indeed raised the bar for future acts brought to the Concord. The low lighting with the multi-colored strobes made the space feel like an old school warehouse party. From REZZ’s light up goggles to Malaa’s undercover ski mask, the night quickly escalated into a cluster of weirdness.
United Kingdom native Bentley Dean, warmed up the crowd with a set that included many of his own tracks. Featuring mostly future house as well as a few lower BPM tracks, he also threw in the G Jones and Eprom track, “Warrior,” which blended well into the overall sound of his set. The night started out heavy with a combination of shuffling and head banging. We saw it all.
The night progressed with the second act Isabelle Rezazadeh from Niagara Falls, better known as REZZ. Breakthrough artist REZZ has made a name for herself over the past year. In an interview with The Dankles, REZZ admits to starting her producing career after Hard Day of the Dead in 2013, just over two years ago. Today, she’s had the pleasure of performing at prominent music festivals including Shambala and Holy Ship! Also, this wasn’t her first time in Chicago. REZZ made her first debut at Reaction NYE, a two-day New Years Eve event created last year by React Presents. Over the summer, she came back to the windy city to bring a nasty bass set to Spring Awakening music festival and after party, opening for RL Grime. Chicago has been blessed by the bass goddess for sure. Chicago received a massive dose of the Mau5 last night, with tracks including “One Trick Pony,” “Raise Your Weapon,” “Cthulhu Sleeps,” and more. Also, featured tracks from Zeds Dead, Gesaffelstein, Bassnectar, and Boysnoize.
The first half of her set started out funky with upbeat house hits transitioning into sounds comparable to UK dub. From there, it was nothing more than a full-fledged REZZ set. Her energy was contagious on Saturday, dancing along with her music the entire time. Both REZZ and the crowd got down when she played tracks off of her new EP including “Purple Gusher,” and “Selector.” There’s no question that she has become one of the most unique breakthrough EDM artists in 2016.
To close out this show, Malaa introduced dark, wonky tunes until 3 am. Malaa’s ski mask fits perfectly with his/her majestic tech beats. He/she is thought to be a famous artist that has created an alter ego. It is believed to be Tchami, DJ Snake or Mercer since all three are under the same management. Although we are curious to know who this masked figure is, we can’t deny that we love the image. It sets the mood of a late-night set, down-beat bass with a touch of techno to get everyone shaking their booties. Malaa has performed at major festivals including Hard Summer, Ultra Music Festival, and Holy Ship! Saturday night he/she played tracks including a remixed Disclosure track and a track in collaboration with Tchami called “Prophecy.” The crowd went wild when hearing this song since Tchami has become a very popular artist in Chicago. Malaa also played his/her popular tracks, “Fade” and “Notorious,” with bouncy future and tech house beats that the crowd certainly lost their minds to. Malaa appropriately closed the night, leaving the bass heads of Chicago satisfied.
The Lunatic Tour continues to three more cities, ending in New York. October is the perfect month to welcome the tour, and with Halloween coming, you might want to schedule a night out to see REZZ and Malaa at the upcoming shows. If you’re looking for a dark and intimate experience, you won’t be disappointed.
By Ashley Murphy
CONNECT WITH RIVER BEATS
facebook |twitter | instagram | youtube | soundcloud | mixcloud
0 comments on “Chicago Bassheads Come Out to Play for REZZ and Malaa [Event Review]”