On the night of Thursday, April 14, the Hamilton Gymnasium was filled with vibrant lights, trippy graphics and sensational music as Swedish electronic duo Galantis took the stage for DUPB’s second annual MusicFest.
The group, active since 2013, is comprised of Christian Karlsson of Miike Snow and Linus Eklöw of Style of Eye. They made their music debut with “Smile” in 2013 and are now known predominantly for their popular songs “Runaway (U & I),” “No Money” and “Peanut Butter Jelly.”
Doors opened at 9 p.m. and the set started soon after with opener Semper Fly, a house-music group comprised of DU students. The music was energetic and got the crowd pumped right off the bat, creating an atmosphere of movement and excitement via the prominent beats and bass that defined the group’s songs.
By the time Galantis came to the stage, the crowd was jumping around with excessive energy and anticipation, and the group certainly didn’t disappoint. Galantis played to a packed house and were energetic and fully present on stage, moving the crowd with the deftness of a group that rocked Coachella and other major music festivals in years past. The all-encompassing and infectious rhythms that mark Galantis’ music were not only lovely to listen to, they also created a vibrant and enthusiastic vibe among the crowd that marked the night as not only one of great music, but great fun as well.
Since the inception of MusicFest last year with popular artist Milky Chance, DUPB has proved itself able to reel in verifiable and relatively well-known talent, which can be challenging for a small school like DU. This year was a marked departure from last year’s chill, indie sound with the two artists playing dance music; however, while last year’s fare was undeniably enjoyable, there’s a certain sense of fun and excitement that electronic music can bring to a crowd that is hard with other genres, and that could definitely be felt in the energy of Thursday night’s crowd.
DUPB set the bar high with Galantis, and one can only eagerly anticipate what they will bring us for MusicFest next year.
Galantis’ music can be found on Spotify, SoundCloud, iTunes and YouTube.
