“I have no words.”
This was the first thought I uttered at the conclusion of The Chainsmokers first appearance in Des Moines on their “Memories…Do Not Open Tour” Sunday night. More than 11,100 others were in attendance at Wells Fargo Arena to see the duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart bring the first major electronic dance concert to Central Iowa.
PHOTOS: THE CHAINSMOKERS AT WELLS FARGO ARENA
The Chainsmokers have been staples on pop radio for the last 18 months with songs like “Paris,” “Closer, “Don’t Let Me Down,” and the group’s first breakout hit, “#Selfie.” Taggart and Pall brought their hits along with much of their debut album from which the tour got its name. The group also brought an incredible amount of energy.
“I know it’s Sunday, but we came to go hard,” exclaimed Pall during a rare break in the music.
You almost need to look at The Chainsmokers in concert from three different perspectives: Performance, the “Show,” and Music. The performance definitely had its moments. Taggart, in particular, had an incredible amount of energy throughout the evening. If he wasn’t running from side-to-side on stage, he was jumping all around the group’s DJ platform. Taggart also showed himself to be musically diverse by playing a miniature keyboard and strapping on a guitar near the end of the show.
The “show” The Chainsmokers put on is second to none. Smoke, pyrotechnics, incredible lighting, and video monitors showing the most random of imagery were omnipresent throughout the night. You could not hear to a note and think this may be one of the most incredible shows you’ve ever seen.
Musically, this is where the show gets a bit dicey. While the group’s music is catchy and fun, it’s a whole different experience in person. The guys are DJs first, musicians second. Let’s not kid ourselves, they’re playing a lot of other artist’s material off computers. The first eight songs in the show, which blew by in an incredible 23 or so minutes, were mashed together in one long DJ set that was an unrelenting start to the show. Once the group allowed the crowd to catch their breath for “Break Up Every Night,” Nearly a third of the night’s playlist had been completed.
Electronic dance music isn’t for everyone. Even for those for whom it’s targeted, you need to be in the right mood (or even “frame of mind”) to really enjoy the full experience. There’s a lot (A. Lot.) of repetitiveness and inexplicable noises that happen in every song. There’s blinding lights, lasers, and things falling from the rafters. There’s an uncertainty that the venue will hold together with 10,000+ obey to the order to “ONE, TWO, THREE, EVERYBODY JUMP!” What The Chainsmokers did in about an hour and 45 minutes could have easily been cut down to 75-90 minutes and not lost anything important.
The show was an all-out assault on nearly every sense in your body. The bass was cranked so far past 11 that you could feel it in your chest even as you were trying to use the restroom. It was after the bathroom thumping experience that it came to light what this really was – it was a gigantic nightclub. Wells Fargo Arena had been turned into the largest, hottest club in town with the most expensive cover charge… that also serves pizza.
Visit any contemporary dance club in Des Moines any weekend night and you’re bound to get a good taste of what a concert is like from The Chainsmokers. Yes, there’s less pyro and lower headroom for wicked high jumps, but you’re going to leave with a similar ringing in your ears, a potentially similar alcohol buzz, and possibly a temporary aversion to any kind of lighting.
The Chainsmokers have put together a lean, mean production that is incredible to see. The group has a bit more to learn about putting together a solid, well-produced show that flows well. Since it’s the group’s first national tour, it’s easy to give them a pass.
Opening act Kiiara left much to be desired. The former hardware store clerk turned singer is currently enjoying a big hit with her guest vocals on Linkin Park’s new song, “Heavy” and had her song “Gold” featured in an Apple Watch commercial. It didn’t take long for Kiiara to inform the crowd that she was sick but was going to power through her performance. It seemed that at that exact moment, she lost her grasp on the crowd. Her abbreviated 25-minute set featured her hit songs, but nothing seemed to help her connect with the crowd. Her repeated reminders of being sick and a sense of complete apathy weren’t doing her any favors.
SETLIST
The One
F**k It
Don’t Let Me Down
B2U
Inside Out
Kanye
Dreaming
#Selfie
Break Up Every Night
Until You Were Gone
Roses
Setting Fires
Bloodstream
Don’t Say
Closer
All We Know
I Write Sins Not Tragedies (Panic! at the Disco cover)
Wake Up Alone
Habits (Stay High) (Tove Lo cover)
Let You Go
Young
Honest
I Won’t Kill Ya
Around the World (Daft Punk cover)
My Type
Paris
Something Just Like This
New York City
Don’t Let Me Down
Encore:
Last Day Alive
