A roadtrip to catch Justice & Kaytranada in Chicago

Everyone has at least one band they dream about seeing perform live one day. For me, my list is just a tad longer than just one (okay, more than a tad), but I’m happy to say I have been able to check another one off of my list. I was asked, “Wanna go see Kaytranda and Justice in Chicago tomorrow?” Let me tell you: when someone asks you to go with them on not only a spontaneous roadtrip, but a spontaneous roadtrip to see Kaytranada B2B with Justice….

You say yes — absolutely yes.

We drove for five hours, both of us sick as dogs, but we successfully made it to the United Center in Chicago with an hour to spare. I’d never been to this venue before, but it was so big it felt like being in an airport — fully decked out with restaurants and little shops you could explore before the show. After grabbing some merch, I found my seat inside of the massive arena, absolutely stoked to see what this place would look like overflowing with thousands of people alongside me. 

The opener for the evening was Sam Gellaitry, a DJ from Scotland I wasn’t familiar with then, but happy to know now. He set the perfect mood with his set of house music, steadily building up the anticipation for the night. I watched a crowd of people grow on the floor beyond the stage, dancing and vibing to the music. Just above them, I saw a large platform suspended in the air; rumor had it, that’s right where Kaytranada was going to be. 

By the end of Gellaitry’s set, the venue was packed to the brim.

Figures filled every seat and the ground floor was an endless sea of faces. The floating platform descended down into the crowd as a low, rhythmic hum reverberated around us. I didn’t know what to expect and I wasn’t alone, as myself and others tried peeking beyond the platform with curiosity to see where Kaytranada might be. When the lights dimmed and a blanket of fog coated the crowd, I knew it wouldn’t be much longer. Like the Red Sea, the wave of people parted and Kaytranada appeared, strutting towards the platform in his classic shades and a drink in hand. 

This performance was honestly like nothing I had ever seen before. Kaytranada brought an insane amount of energy, paired with impressive sounds and visuals that simply cannot be replicated by another artist. In the circular platform, he switched side to side, performing 360-degrees with his audience. His music was lively and electric, but smooth and groovy — much like his demeanor. Casually sipping a wineglass, I can’t think of anything that could top seeing a DJ being lifted into the air of a massive arena as thousands of people danced beneath him… while cooly getting lit.

And the evening was only just getting started…

Teaming up on this tour with Katranada was Justice after a seven-year hiatus. Justice fans were surprised with a brand-new album drop titled Hyperdrama from the electronic French duo, which meant that this performance was guaranteed to be nothing short of incredible. The energy in this room was so massive that it went beyond the figurative; you could hold it in your palm, you could taste it, you could breathe it in your lungs. The moment I saw Justice onstage, the entire world around me went completely silent. Then, in a beat, the silence was split in two as a piercing note broke out with beams of light penetrating all angles. Justice was everything I had hoped for and nothing I had expected… and their performance was absolutely breathtaking. 

I wish I had the proper words to describe this show. I wish I could share in detail every moment of what I saw and heard, but this is one of those performances that there simply are no words — you just have to see it for yourself. We drove from St. Louis to Chicago, then back again all in one night, and I would do it all over again without a doubt in my mind. I waited almost a decade for a new Justice album and my entire lifetime to see them perform live. My god, was it worth the wait. 

Photography by Sean Rider; recap by Michelle Zigler

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