Junior Boys play Metro Chicago

The faint smell of stale beer hit as me I walked in the Metro to see Junior Boys , Jessy Lanza, and Borys. Once I walked up the stairs to the stage, I noticed the massive amount of synthesizers already set up and ready to go. I threw my earplugs in and stepped closer to the table on the floor below the stage. Borys was standing behind it with his massive amount of analog synths and mixers he used to create once in a lifetime mix. He began by experimenting with different synth drones and slowly drifted into a dance groove with a rhythm that penetrated the venue with its energy. I could feel the bass creeping up my legs. As Borys slowed down the tempo of his mix, he allowed Lanza to take the stage. The drummer and vocalist / keyboardist duo combined up-tempo dance pop with dream pop. They were filled with passion and grooved to the bass’s seemingly never ending thumping. Lanza blended elegant synth-pop layers that were sprinkled with delayed and reverbed vocals. Their sound centered around European dance experimentation and 808-filled instrumentation. 

To close out the perfect night, the atmosphere changed once the Junior Boys switched from a quaint ambient atmosphere to a techno-pop dance beat. Junior Boys captivating performance was complimented by the superlative lighting and sound typical of Metro shows. The bass rattled the floor, the guitar glimmered, and the added percusion element of a live drummer topped everything off. The sheer multitude of synth layers that was infused with pounding and pulsing bass made the set truly unique. While it felt like you could be in the club listening to Junior Boys, they also created a euphoric haze when they broke down their songs and had open jam like sessions.  

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