In May, David Guetta performed two sold-out shows at Brooklyn Mirage. That’s right, if your Guetta-knowledge begins and ends with the hit Titanium you're missing out on a whole lot of amazing music.
I’ll be the first to admit I thought House music was “bebop” music and to be fair I still feel justified in that assumption. After a few months of falling head-over-heels into the house scene, I can say I was indeed confusing House with EDM.
There will be those out there who may say I’m wrong but I’m not here for that battle today - in the end this is a Guetta review. So back to my friend David.
Two days of dancing, sweating, drinking, and screaming lyrics I think it’s safe to call David Guetta my friend. Haters are gonna hate but nothing is quite as astounding as this 48-hour experience.
It all started with Future Rave, a new sound or - dare I say - genre that gives us both Guetta and, Danish DJ, MORTEN behind the decks. I wasn’t convinced it was the show for me but alas after a long work day there I stood at Mirage at 11:30 pm on a Thursday.
The crowd was quietly abuzz and what piqued my interest were the characters that made up a weeknight crowd. You had everyone from the “rave mamis” all crop tops and winged eyeliner, to the stoners, and my favorite - the guy who fell asleep standing up, looking precisely how I felt.
The opener I caught - Taiki Nulight - was solid. He got me tapping back and forth but honestly, it’s tough to open for David Guetta - when thousands are on the edge waiting for their favorites and nervous about the Future Rave of it all.
It wasn’t until the stroke of midnight that we got Guetta and MORTEN, but let me say: worth it.
The spectacle was off the charts, with astrounaut-sci-fi-futuristic visuals beaming on Mirage’s state-of-the-art wraparound screens. MORTEN was getting up on the decks, Guetta professed his love of New York and his joy over finally having the second-ever Future Rave concert.
It was indeed one of those magical moments where I oddly didn’t feel like just another ticket holder or a happy customer. We - the crowd - needed Future Rave as much as the DJs themselves and without one, the other would not feel complete.
I found myself shamelessly shazaming new musical gems like Restless and Alive Again. To catch a sound before Guetta and MORTEN mixed in the following song felt like catching lightning bugs or popping bubbles before they float away or whatever your favorite childhood chase was.
Future Rave delivered and before I knew it I was in a future I could never have predicted. I mean, it was Thursday - when normally I’m on the couch eating a chicken cutlet sandwich at 3:30 am.
I’d rarely been at a concert that stimulated every sense to the point where I completely forgot my watch.
My verdict? Future Rave isn’t merely a sound but the amplitude that pushes you that far in time, one beat to the next, until you’ve arrived.
The real question though is, was I ready for night 2? No. Hell no.
Friday was the night - to blow off steam, get lost in the music, and scream every single word I thought I knew. A second night at Mirage felt like my school, church, office, and treehouse, all wrapped into one very pricey package (at this point they can have all my money). But it wasn’t just one more night. It’s the kind of night that makes or breaks your Mirage love affair and I was infatuated.
Yes, between Guetta, the open air, the vodka cranberries, and my squad, there was absolutely nothing but pure joy. When the chants for “one more song” erupted I found myself chanting too and Guetta gave us another 30-minutes of bangers.
In bed by 4:30 am and never more exhausted, I fell asleep with all my makeup on and my hair still up in space buns. When I awoke with sticky hair, a persistent hangover, and itchy eyes I knew my Guetta experience was complete.
So after two full Guetta days, all I know is this: he is indeed the #1 DJ in the world for a reason and I can only hope to have another live music experience that feels that good again.