RAC Brought A Remix Mentality To Concord Music Hall
By Gina Provenzano in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 3, 2014 10:15PM
It can be tough to know what you're getting into when you see an electronic dance music artist known primarily for remixes and carefully crafted studio tracks. Will they DJ live? Will they just hit play? Will they be too busy controlling their laptop to even notice the crowd’s reaction? Saturday night at Concord Music Hall, RAC took an unexpected approach.
RAC (formerly known as Remix Artist Collective) is Andre Allen Anjo's solo project and live has expanded to include a full backing band. Having a packed stage made for an energetic live show and delivered above expectations of a crowd that was mostly still dressed in their Halloween best, looking for a dance party. Although the set took on more of a rock edge with a live drum beat and cranked-up guitars, the group never lost any of the catchiness of their original electronic-focused tracks.
On his debut full-length, Strangers, RAC pulled together a collection of original songs, and when these tracks were performed live the group sounded their best. Songs like "Hollywood" and "Seventeen" had the crowd moving and singing along with every note. And while it was fun to see live performances of remixes like Phoenix's "Armistice" and Two Door Cinema Club's "Something Good Can Work,", the songs came across almost cover band-like in a live setting. That being said, the group kept the crowd interested throughout their entire hour-long set and closed out the evening on an especially high note with their single "Let Go." While the live set was unexpected, it was interesting to see RAC move away from his remixing roots and evolve as a truly live musical act.