Hippie Sabotage concert review: EDM duo astonishes at Irving Plaza

This was not your usual Sunday evening.

On April 21, my buddy and I crept by the thrashing group at New York City’s Irving Plaza with skeptical reservations, which will make sense since we ended up on our way to capture Hippie Sabotage’s aptly titled ‘Enter the Unknown Tour.’

The brother duo’s latest album is a sharp departure from their silkier chill wave hits “Devil Eyes,” “Your Soul,” and “Whiskey.” This time all-around, Kevin and Jeff Saurer hooked up with rapper Kembe X for their new file, “Sleep Paralyses.” The resulting tracks lean a lot punkier than their prior remixes, crowned with weighty bass, artificial drops, and sinister, high-octane vocals. 

Irving Plaza’s flock of followers was mostly reflective of this present day dance new music design. There was no lack of tie-dye bandannas, graphic skater tees, worn-in sneakers, and dangly metal chains in the crowd. Relaxed consolation was plainly the dress code.

Even though waiting around for the coat check out, a person attendee instructed us he considered that a new fanbase was turning toward “Hippie.”

“I’m ordinarily far more of an alt-rock or punk variety of guy… but Hippie has a definitely vast attractiveness. I hadn’t even read of them, but when I was down in San Francisco my good friends explained, ‘You have to go see them, it is the very best demonstrate ever.’”

Possibly, it is that widening charm that is been attracting a fresh new bunch of followers. Hippie Sabotage exhibits have been notorious for inviting frisky ravers seeking to blow off steam generally the site of mosh-pits, ‘I really do not give a f—‘ chants, group-browsing, and loads of smoke clouding the air. 

After all, the brothers are from Sacramento — “the city of trees” they screamed out at one particular level in the evening — jostling the group into a wave of enraptured cheers. Stirring up enthusiasm from followers is the identify of the “Hippie” match. 

Although there was a liberal dose of these pursuits at this individual clearly show, especially since it was the day following April 20, the artists also remaining room for far more laidback listening, like when the lights gleamed low and the 1st notes of “Devil Eyes” boomed.

As a consequence, the intimate venue felt greater than at any time as melting shades of smooth orange and yellow swirled on the display screen at the rear of the Saurer brothers. Strobes inched little by little more than the group, revealing hundreds of centered eyes, and sluggish-transferring bodies showing up to be closely submerged in the tunes.

Of class, nearly everyone in the crowd also knew the lyrics: “Yeah we’re golden, newborn lady we’re golden/They about to see us glow ’cause we’re golden/They can never ever crack us down ’cause we’re golden.” 

Hippie Sabotage has a intelligent way of engineering beats that slap, slice, and pierce, but develop at a bovine tempo, occasionally tranquil ample that you could think about listening to a pin fall. It’s perplexing and ghostly, normally trance-inducing.

But, the feistier tracks from the new album are arguably far more personal, experimenting with motivational narratives and lifetime advice from Kembe, Kevin, and Jeff. 

“Pole Vaulting” spewed blazing lyrics around a trappy defeat, though the marginally “softer” psych quantities “Start a Business” and “Kill Everything in the Way” felt much more like common “stoner anthems” as my buddy named them — laced with rousing lyrics like “never designed a dolla offa takin yo advice” and encouraging individuals to develop into “new leaders of the resistance.”

The effect of this new music was turning into obvious: the ravers have been gassed up. And, the performers took this as their cue to enterprise into the group and get started chucking h2o bottles every which way. They’re recognised to preserve fans hydrated — probably to manage their breakneck rate or quench scenarios of cotton mouth. 

During a momentary pause, one particular of the brothers pulled the mic involving his tooth, proclaiming that the last time they performed Irving Plaza they did not “make a single dollar” due to a twisted business speak to. Right after a yr of fairly unclear struggles, they at last “got their flexibility.”

The crowd shrieked with defensive horror. I appeared at my mate. “Are they heading to get started breaking factors?” I puzzled aloud.

We both allow out a sigh of aid as a remix of Tove Lo’s breakup defeat “Stay High” arrived on in its place. The electronic indie tune was the fantastic singalong to divert consideration again to the phase, reminding early Hippie heads of the viral YouTube mixes that gave the pair their begin.

In legitimate Hippie Sabotage Style, the brothers took fans new and previous together for all their reckonings. From weighty-hitting masterpieces to explorative, avant-garde tracks, and then back again in unity with universally appealing remixes. It was all an emotional rollercoaster, to say the the very least. But a joyful a person at that.

Based mostly on what I noticed, I’m sure most followers who witnessed this transformative, kaleidoscopic evening would gladly ‘Enter The Unknown’ again.

Hippie Sabotage tour plan 2024

A full calendar including all tour dates, venues, and backlinks to purchase tickets can be identified underneath.

Hippie Sabotage tour dates
April 25 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.
April 26 at Phase AE in Pittsburgh, PA
April 27 at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, PA
April 30 at The Countrywide in Richmond, VA
Might 1 at The Fillmore in Charlotte, NC
May well 2 at the Mercury Ballroom in Louisville, KY
Might 3 at the Uptown Theater in Kansas Metropolis, MO
May perhaps 4 at The Cotillion in Wichita, KS
May 6 at The Astro Amphitheater in La Vista, NE
Might 8 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO
Could 16 at The Republik in Honolulu, Hi
May perhaps 24 at The Republik in Honolulu, Hello

Massive EDM excursions in 2024

If Hippie Sabotage is not headed to a location close to you, we’re delighted to report that a good deal of celebration starters may possibly fall into your neck of the woods these following couple of months.

Below are just 5 of our favorites you will not want to skip are living.

• Charli XCX with Troye Sivan

• Odesza

• John Summit

• Dom Dolla

• Kygo

Who else is out and about? Consider a seem at our list of the 50 greatest live performance tours in 2024 to come across the show for you.