For their third appearance at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Aer brought a breathtaking set on May 2. The duo is made up of Carter Schulz and David von Mering, who both hail from a small suburban town outside of Boston.
Their style is a fusion of reggae, hip-hop, ska and rap, which produces both mellow and party anthem-type songs. Similar to college-catered white male rappers like Mac Miller, G-Eazy and Sammy Adams, Aer shares the ability to interchangeably rap and sing.
The openers were rappers Packy and Jez Dior. These acts were long, boring and forgettable—which created an awkward atmosphere while the entire room waited for Aer. Except for the fan-crazed DJ of Jez Dior, who opened FaceTime on his iPhone during his set, they provided little entertainment for the right reasons. The theater’s front room was close to empty for Packy’s set, and picked up for Jez Dior.
The night picked up considerably when DJ Smiles walked on stage. He paused, looked into the crowd, and yelled, “I let myself down . . . I meant to take five Jameson shots tonight. Instead,” he grinned wolfishly, “I took seven!”
From that moment on, the audience knew we were in for a treat. As Aer’s last opener, he started his bit by spinning and remixing records at warp speed before getting the whole crowd to chant “Fresh Aer Movement” following Aer’s introduction.
By the time Aer came on, the balcony was packed with devotees all the way to the back. The crowd ranged from high schoolers with their parents to CU students to adults, and the themes of marijuana and party devotion were universal among the concert-goers. In one of the few legalized states, Aer’s smoking rifts were well-suited to the pot haze that swirled among the lights.
Despite breaking his foot earlier on tour, Carter Schulz’s energy was off-the-charts during the entire performance. His dancing, singing and free-styling were electric, so much so that the audience began to feel it, too.
When Schulz first hit the stage with a full foot cast, he threw his crutch across the room and danced with a kind of funky charisma. He addressed the crowd, saying, “I’m feelin’ 110 percent tonight,” and his energy made everyone as buzzed as could be. As bubbles and pink lights filled the room, his persona was larger than life.
The setlist itself included songs from all four of Aer’s albums: “Aer,” “Feel I Bring,” “What You Need” and “Brightside.” When Mering and Schulz started singing “Says She Loves Me,” and their most well-known single, “Floats My Boat,” the synchronization of the two musicians clicked. From there, the rest of the night was smooth sailing.
Overall, Aer gave the audience a great time. The breaks between songs seemed non-existent, and there were few moments when everyone wasn’t having fun to their fullest potential.
Their cover of Otis and the Knight’s “Shout” provided maximum entertainment, not including Mering’s air thrusts during “If You Want (Trees).” The last two songs and encore were all from their latest album, “Aer.” These songs filled the Fox Theatre with the throes of fun, upbeat music that Aer plays so well.
Aer’s next go-around in Colorado will be in Morrison at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 13 with the Dirty Heads and Pepper.
