Smoking out of the gate
First-timers The Chainsmokers are all the rave with NRG crowd
RodeoHouston has hosted country legends and pop superstars, Tejano icons and R&B greats.
But the rotating stage has never seen anything quite like The Chainsmokers.
EDM duo Andrew Taggart and Alex Paul made their RodeoHouston debut Sunday, sandwiched between superstar country acts, calf scrambles and fried desserts.
“I know the expression is this is not your first rodeo. But this is our first rodeo,” Taggart told the crowd of 74,280. It’s the biggest number so far this year.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen dance music in a situation like this. We’re party boys. This is all we know.”
This is the third Houston show in less than a year for The Chainsmokers. The pair played Club Nomadic during Super Bowl LI weekend and 2016’s Free Press Summer Festival.
They expressed excitement about the gig on social media, tweeting they were “really excited but also really nervous ... hope (these) cowboys and cowgirls want to rave.”
Less than an hour before the show, they tweeted they were “ready to body this rodeo.”
“Also just met our first bull rider ever,” they added. “He was a bad ass!”
The RodeoHouston setup is a unique challenge for any artist. But EDM shows, almost more than any other genre, rely on close proximity to crowds in enclosed spaces.
It initially made for a strange energy between artist and fans. Both sides were clearly pumped. But they were separated by security guards and a whole lot of dirt.
Somehow, they quickly managed to fill the (literal) void. Fans danced in the aisles and waved glowsticks during “Inside Out,” “Until You Were Gone” and “All We Know.” The enthusiasm built as the set progresses through so many EDM anthems.
Taggart and Paul regularly moved out from behind the DJ table to address the crowd and bounce across the stage. Both guys jumped atop the table to hype up the crowd and themselves.
Lasers reached up and across the length of the stadium. There were fireworks flame bursts and furious beat drops during “Kanye,” “Roses” and “Paris.”
The Texans logo even flashed across the screens, inciting a new wave of screams.
The original songs were interspersed with singalong hits from other acts: KISS and Red Hot Chili Peppers, DJ Khaled, Blink-182 and Panic at the Disco. It hit peak camp with a snippet of “The Lion King” theme.
By the time Taggart and Paul got to pop smashes “Closer,” “Something Just Like This” and “Don’t Let Me Down,” the stadium was at full tilt.
Maybe a RodeoHouston rave should become an annual addition.