Swedish EDM master Avicii, né the far-less-cool-sounding Tim Bergling, performed like his life depended on it Thursday night at Roseland Ballroom.
The concert was free — kind of. You had to buy a T-shirt at Denim + Supply Ralph Lauren or buy the brand at Macy’s to get a ticket. The result? A lot of sweaty frat boys (or those who never let Greek life go) pumping to the beat in tank tops and cheap cologne.
Luckily, their overlord, Avicii, provided plenty of distraction. The man is a production genius, taking EDM to places it has never been before, as evidenced by his country-infused, chart-topping hit, “Wake Me Up,” which closed out the set after the crowd aggressively chanted the title.
The set proved a varied mix, featuring recent-vintage Avicii, remixed hits like Calvin Harris’ “Sweet Nothing,” and a slew of tracks from last month’s album “True,” including the instant crowd pleaser, “Hey Brother,” and emotional grinder, “Dear Boy.” And of course, no Avicii set would be complete without “Levels,” the house track that made him a star.
Folks like to hate on electronic concerts because of the rampant drug use, and while a guy was spotted trying to use his MetroCard at the venue’s ATM, the vibe is decidedly different than the hazy techno-raves of yesteryear.
For those considering dipping a toe into the dance-music pond, there’s no better place to start than with Avicii. His tracks are a slick blend of dance, pop, rock, folk, R&B and, well, everything. Radio-catchy at worst and provocatively transcendental at best, the music defies categorization while pushing the boundaries of what an uhn-tiss-uhn-tiss-uhn-tiss can do. While “True” is certainly worth a download, nothing can compare to the energetic Swede live as he hypes the crowd by jabbing his right arm in the air like a schizophrenic band conductor while pulsing strobe lights and a hypnotic digital background set the mood.
And if you still don’t think you’re trendy enough to enjoy, let it be known that both Alan Cumming (taking selfies) and former “Real Housewife” Kelly Bensimon (shaking her thang) were in attendance. So, yeah, consider yourself cool enough.