The outside air was crisp, with flannels and pin-adorned snapbacks waiting to get inside. You’d think it’d be difficult to bring a crowd out for a concert on a Wednesday night in Philly, but not for Griz.
“Last time I saw him was at Electric Zoo. I couldn’t miss this set!” announced an excited fan.
Openers Muzzy Bear followed by Big Wild set the precedent for the night. Groove and funk emanated from the stage, bouncing off of the walls and into the ears of smiling dancers. These weren’t your typical bassheads – GRiZ’s style attracts music lovers across all spectrums of the electronic genre.
Just shy of 11:30, the man of the night took his position behind the decks. For roughly the next 2 hours, GRiZ took Philly on a journey to give a taste of his musical talents. Starting with heavy funk, relaxing into a chill groove, and dropping into some dub, GRiZ knew how to keep his audience entertained. He played everything from A Fine Way to Die and Gettin’ Live, to twists on old school classics like Play That Funky Music and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.
Of course, a GRiZ set wouldn’t be a GRiZ set without the almighty sax solos. In the span of just several minutes, he was able to refute the all-too-often criticism that electronic music doesn’t require actual talent nor use “real instruments.” Take that, haters.
To finish the night, he united the crowd once again by dropping Toy Story‘s You’ve Got A Friend In Me, because, you know, it’s actually impossible to not be happy and hug your neighbors during such a song…
If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that Philly loves to get down to GRiZ, and fans are already counting down the days until he makes his way back to the City of Brotherly Love.
