This past Friday ushered in a show that couldn’t come soon enough for Gramatik fans in the tri-state area. Fresh off the successful Epigram coming out party at his unofficial hometown of NYC, the diehard Grammadicts were itching to get a sense of what to expect with new music off the upcoming album.
The setting was The Fillmore, Philadelphia’s brand new pride and joy. The venue proved to be a perfect spot to host the vibes a Gramatik show brings in, as the spacious warehouse-like room gave fans all the space they could ask for, all while having a cool “old school” feeling to it.
Openers Jai Wolf and Mark Farina had the crowd coming in early and really solidified the feeling this would be a special kind of sold out show. The Philly faithful was getting down and came ready; it’s only a matter of time before these two make their way back to the area. Next up was Brasstracks. These two men are quickly making a name for themselves with their unique take on live horns, and they absolutely didn’t disappoint. Ripping through live edit after live edit, these two guys were only giving an appetizer of what was to come later in the night.
At last it was Denis’ turn to take the stage. Seemingly each time we see Gramatik, his stage set up becomes more and more impressive. The use of visuals and videos are a welcome addition to his live experience, and it compliments his music and message perfectly. Now, most sets, we’re able to ID almost every track Gramatik throws our way…his music is unmistakable. This tour however, Denis and crew were unveiling his new Epigram album, playing out each track and debuting it for the fans who made it out. The result was a set made largely up of new material, with classics peppered in here and there.
Of course it wouldn’t be a Gramatik show without some of his most beloved live tracks. In recent times we’ve seen Denis stray slightly from his vast catalog of older tunes in favor of songs that are optimized to be played live, on live instruments. This trend continued with the always loved Expect Us (with Brasstracks supplying the live, soul melting horns), DLIF, My People, Brave Men and personal favorite, Gramatik’s remix of Superstition.
All in all, this was par for the course for Gramatik. Denis has a long history of being one of the most gifted producers in the industry, and he has us waiting on the edge of our seats to hear what Epigram has waiting for us. Keep your eyes peeled this summer to catch Gramatik at a stop near you (the Grizmatik and Big Grizmatik dates are an extremely welcome sight), and if this show is any indication, he’s just getting revved up in 2016.
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https://soundcloud.com/gramatik
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