If disco and 80’s horror movies soundtracks had a kid, it would sound like Justice without a doubt. The French duo released their fourth album Hyperdrama earlier this year and kicked out a new chapter of their career with a Coachella appearance. They are currently on tour, and I was lucky enough to be there for their stop at the magnificent Hollywood Bowl on October 4th as the frenchies keep cruising through North America.
Since Thundercat appears on “The End”, the last track of Hyperdrama, it only made sense for him to open the show. He appeared on stage with a drummer and a pianist who were amazing musicians. The Bowl was lit up in so many colors which was a beautiful spectacle, the trio performed a few medleys of songs from It Is What It Is (2020) and Drunk (2017). Throughout the set Thundercat demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the best bass players in the world today. His style is unique and very few bassists actually use six-strings. Although his music is primarily somewhere between jazz and soul, he has over the years collaborated with a wide range of artists from Suicidal Tendencies to Kamasi Washington or hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar. So, it didn’t feel out of character for him when he brought to the stage rapper Big Sean along with singer Eryn Allen Kane to perform “Black Void” from Big Sean’s new album. Thundercat closed the set with personal favorite “Them Changes”.
The lights turned back on, and the excitement started taking over the Bowl as we waited with anticipation of what was to come. If you were seated anywhere in the first half of the venue, chances are you saw Busy P walking around and stopping to talk with everybody and stopping to take selfies with anyone who asked for one. It was pretty nice to see the Ed Banger Records founder/former Daft Punk manager there and that he was so accessible. At 9:20pm the lights turned off and the crowd went wild when lights started flashing on stage. The duo started with a medley of songs from their 2007 debut album “Genesis” / “Phantom”. It is rare at a concert for the lighting to be as good as the music, but it was the case for this show. The projectors kept moving throughout the show to imitate electrical lightning or take the shape of an eye. They were also covered by some kind of screen which created various effects, as if we were travelling through space Star Wars-style or as if sparks were coming out of the stage.
Most of the set was actual medleys of songs from their four different albums that were perfectly executed like “One Night/All Night” / “D.A.N.C.E.”. I can count on one hand the number of people I saw seating down, the century-old amphitheater turned into a nightclub for a couple of hours and the crowd danced and sang the whole time. Another highlight for me was the “Audio, Video, Disco” / “Stop” medley which was performed right before taking an encore break. Gaspard and Xavier came back after a few minutes and made sure to keep us dancing a bit longer. They played a different version of “D.A.N.C.E.” and embarked on a megamix of about ten of their songs. Thundercat got back on stage to sing their well-named common song “The End”… at the end of the show. A perfect end to a perfect night.
Growing up in France I remember when Justice released their first album and became the new electronic sensation. It must have been a couple of years after high school for me and I am amazed that almost twenty years later I got to see them in my favorite LA venue. Also, it has to be one of the best shows I have seen in my life, the sound, the music, and the production are off the charts. So, if you get a chance to catch them before they return to Europe at the end of the year, run don’t walk!
JUSTICE
THUNDERCAT
Photos + Review by Manuel Gay | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!