Last Wednesday, Grammy winning French electronic duo Justice passed though Chicago to do some real justice for the Chicago electronic dance music (EDM) scene. The professionalism and dedication to production that the show exhibited almost wiped out all of my previous less than quality electronic music experiences.
Their debut album was released in 2007, and although the group has acclaimed enough notoriety for booking a venue parallel to the transcendental experience that their live show offers, they instead play just as loud for a crowd at the Congress Theater on a Wednesday night.
The opener ZEBO is a Chicago-based DJ that, for the sake of having a day job, doubles as a Columbia College professor. His set continued from when the doors opened, to around eight, when Justice was near finished setting up. Congress Theater, a venue with a reputation for having bad acoustics and an even worse staff succeeded that night, if only for booking Justice. From 6:30 p.m. onward, fans began filling the room thick, to the point where Justices’ first hymn, almost sounding throughout blocks of the venue, was still in competition with the unwavering crowd.
The stage was unveiled and a big bright cross that would change forms throughout the night first illuminated the eager faces of the crowd. The men started with “Civilization,” a favored hit off of their newest album “Audio, Video, Disco.” Justice followers seemed well versed in the lyrics of this song and see it as more of a prophecy than simply finely worded poetry.
“Standing in line as we march to the drums of the east. Paralyzed and possessed by crusader’s deceit. Lost to the sirens that call from the turbulent tide. Bound by the science that lives on the lips of the wise.”
The epic battle anthem and testimony to humanity was a lovely load to take in after having been deprived of a live EDM show of this caliber.
The uses of thematic elements within and without the lyrics for support are made apparent through their live presentation. For example the way the stage is set up is beautifully baffling. The choice to have nine small nonfunctional Marshall cabinets on both sides of the DJ stand is a part of what makes this group unique.
We are encouraged to dance, but also, to question the deeper meaning that lies within the creation of the inventive setup and its accompaniment with the powerful lyrics. The emphasis on questioning television and mass media is clearly demonstrated by the way they manipulate the lighting to resemble the cabinets as television screens “static” in and out. The deliberate and successful attempt at creating this brilliant motif is unlike any other electronic music experience you have encountered.
Throughout points of the show, the DJ stand would separate to make room for a microphone and piano. Justice member Xavier de Rosnay would return to this area several times throughout the night to incorporate some interesting and unusual elements atypical for traditional EDM.
In efforts to bring about an encore, fans chanted the lyrics, “We are your friends, you’ll never be alone again, come on, come on, come on!” And with that, an encore was almost immediately provided.
