Eric Prydz Provides Epic Hammerstein Ballroom Performance [Event Review]

Credit: Andrew Rauner for the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Online images of the famous Hammerstein Ballroom can hardly provide a notion of the venue’s beauty. From a nearly complete and almost eery darkness before Eric Prydz took the stage to an occasional and utter flurry of bright lasers that enveloped the room, the basilica seemed as if built for a show that justifiably had the word “Epic” in its title.

It was from this acoustic cathedral that Prydz took his audience on a journey fueled by deep, resounding house beats and a masterful, layered construction of sound. The DJ who goes by so many names proves again his versatility, pleasantly surprising and exciting an audience who—if familiar with his live act—are used to being blown away, but in a completely new direction each time.

The crowd was barraged at the outset with stunning backdrop visuals, and with each beautiful new image the lighting set seemed to grow wider until every tier and balcony was ablaze. Unlike past Eric Prydz performances which have been noted to lead the audience into the act with softer atmospheric trance, this night began with a brief stint of melodic tones which gave way almost instantly to an artistic layering of sound. Throughout the show, Prydz climbed with his audience higher and higher among levels of dark techno before dropping them into a laser-induced house frenzy. For someone with such a large and comprehensive catalog from which to choose, he surprised this writer with his ability to develop something so beautiful from only a few unassuming melodies. Like a world-class chef with only 5 items on the menu, he carefully crafted each note as to imply simple perfection during every minute of this spectacle.

Most of the artist’s more famous tracks were rejected for a completely original experience, though the crowd’s energy was palpable when samples from “Personal Jesus” and “Everyday” were introduced. Despite their inclusion, the well-known lyrics held no sway over Prydz and his quest for complete ingenuity. Even as the famous intro chords to his remix of M83’s “Midnight City” came belting from the speakers at the start of the encore, he managed to develop something most had never heard before—throughout that song and until his last beat.

Eric Prydz’ stunning variety throughout the set made compiling a sequential list of tracks at best improbable and perhaps, to some, what truly made the show an authentic experience. The excitement in the ballroom seemed only matched by the exasperated content advertised across the faces saturating the sidewalks of midtown Manhattan after 2 ½ hours of visceral bombardment—and the satisfaction of at least one skeptical audience member who may have left New York a bit less so.

This review was written by Steve Crandall.

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