Above & Beyond, Cosmic Gate, and Mat Zo at the Congress Theater on May 12th, 2012

            On May 12^th 2012, Above & Beyond made their way back to Chicago for yet another round of Group Therapy.  This time they were accompanied by fellow Anjuna label-mate Mat Zo and the legendary Cosmic Gate.  

            Zo hit the decks of the Congress Theater and treated the audience to a roller coaster of trance, progressive house and even a little electro-house.  Playing huge hits such as “The Theme,” “Flash,” “Punk” and “We Are Your Friends,” Zo put his own new twist on some already amazing tracks.  The one song I could not wait to hear was his newest release “The Sky.” It’s one of his best tracks, but when he finally played it, it was very rushed. That was pretty disappointing.  I was hoping he would really build up the track and play it out so you could get the full effect of the hypnotizing synths; but I also noticed that no one was really getting into the song, so I understand the need to mix to your audience.  After an hour and a half,  Zo closed his set and within seconds the LED screen lit up and it was time for Above & Beyond.

            As Jono and Tony took the stage, the completely packed theater's anxious audience's collective anticipation skyrocketed.   “Stealing Time” blared out from the speakers as the giant LED screen declared that it was “time for some group therapy.”  Their choice of vocal trance tracks mixed with progressive house remixes and euphoric trance was a definite win for this Chicago crowd.  The energy in the theater never let up through the 2 hour set and it was one of the few times that I have ever felt such a strong, loving and united vibe at a Congress event.  It was a remarkable sight.  The crowd went crazy over their tracks such as “On My Way to Heaven,” “Sun & Moon,” “Love is Not Enough,” and “You Got to Go.”  I was surprised to hear certain tracks such as Porter Robinson’s “Language,” and Eric Prydz’s remix of “Personal Jesus” but needless to say, they mixed them into their set with perfection.  Using their signature style of communication by way of typing for their backdrop, Tony and Jono reminded all of us how trance can bring thousands of people together for a single night.  

            For their closing track, they spun a stunning acoustic version of “On A Good Day.”  Everyone in the crowd soaked up the final moments of the set, as Tony and Jono made their way to the front to shake hands and sign autographs.  It was a sensational set filled with mind-blowing music and even better vibes. The endless screaming and chants of “one more song” made it clear that no one wanted the night to end. Lucky for us, we still had the amazing Cosmic Gate to look forward to.   

            Cosmic Gate was up on the decks in no time.  It was interesting to see the main group play between an opener and a closer.  Having been in the scene for over 10 years now, Cosmic Gate are experts on putting on genre-warping big room sets so they were the perfect duo to keep the crowd going for the rest of the night.  Playing a mix of their own tracks and remixes such as “Be Your Sound,” “The Theme,” “Find Yourself,” and "Flying Blind," the duo ensured there were a lot of high points during this set.  While it wasn’t my favorite Cosmic Gate set, it was still very solid and they’re always entertaining to watch and know how to erupt the crowd's interest, and they're definitely one of the quintessential live acts of EDM.

            As always, thanks to React and the Congress Theater for putting together such an incredible night of trance.


- Jaimee Lieske of Global Dance Electronic