Astronautalis was about halfway through his set at the Ballroom at the Outer Space on Saturday night. He told the crowd that after a playing a “bunch of sad songs” he was now going to play a “bunch of loud songs.”
“I know you’re not a dancing crowd,” he said, “but you’re gonna dance by the end of this song.” The crowd laughed, cheered, and as predicted, danced the rest of the night away.
The Minneapolis-based Astronautalis has become a fan favorite in the New Haven area and on Saturday returned to the place he had visited many times before. He met an enthusiastic and energetic crowd ready to do pretty much whatever he asked them to do.
The tone for the night was set by opening act Siul Hughes, a local artist who has been traveling recently but is back in “the 203” for a spell. He was eager to share his deeply personal and prophetic words with the crowd. The word “connection” gets thrown around a lot these days, but connection is indeed what Hughes facilitated and encouraged from moment one, volleying between musically backed and non-musically backed pieces that brought reflective and inspirational thought and idea with a vibe. It had the audience cheering and chanting along with him whether he requested it or not.
“When I say ‘windows down,’ you say ‘speakers up,’” he said. The audience complied, voraciously. When Hughes jumped down from the stage and into the crowd for one piece, he was greeted with hands in the air and hugs that were lovingly returned. He spoke of The Book Of Iza, a book and album he released last year and performed the piece “Park Bench (Mantras),” “meditating on a park bench reciting mantras to my deeper self” he said. But Hughes was hoping to offer these mantras to the audience as well. “When I am off the stage come talk to me. I’m in it for the love,” he said before he finished his set.
The second act of the night, the Hartford-based UZOO, also brought the love with a ten-member strong crew that included Joey Batts, Ty-HookZ, Criss B. Amazing, Detelj, Murf, Jobo, BKLYN LO, Sloth, Jaden Castro, and Rudy on instrumentals. Batts is also well known as a visual artist, teacher, and the brains behind the annual Hip Hop for the Homeless fundraisers. The MCs traded vocals from song to song and even during each songs, passing around four mics throughout the set. The camaraderie was evident as band members playfully pushed each other around and cheered each other on song after song. When the lyrics became “I do what I want,” they each danced, sang, and cheered along, as did the crowd. UZOO was a definitive crew of friends who live for what they do, enjoying themselves and, on Saturday, taking the growing crowd with them.
Karen Ponzio Photo
Astronautalis.
Headliner Astronautalis got the crowd cheering loudly and even closer to the stage by merely walking on to it. With minimal equipment including a laptop and soundboard in front of him, and backed by Oscar Romero on synths, sampler and backing vocals, Astronautalis filled the stage with his music and presence. After the first song he removed his hoodie and moved closer into the crowd, dancing and putting his entire body into the performance of each piece, whether a slower more melancholy number or a harder, dancier tune. He took the audience with him wherever he went. People sang along as a unit. When Astronautalis jumped into the crowd, people surrounded him and danced and sang along with him there at an even more ecstatic pace.
He talked between songs about how he had been “changing up” things recently, “tearing apart the songs.” He hoped the fans would be pleased with them. It didn’t seem to be a problem at all. He mentioned before his set was over, after telling the crowd “this was fun as fuck” and that the people who had come to see him were “fucking awesome,” that he needed a 10-minute break and then would be over at his merchandise table to see everyone. A small crowd waited for him patiently and upon his return spent time interacting and joking as if they were all old friends.
Earlier in the night Siul Hughes had made a confession: “I’m a man taking a chance, sharing with strangers.” We all could use a few more nights spending time with such artists who take that chance and create not only fans, but friends.
