The genre-bending duo known as GTA is best recognized for their unique style, lively stage presence, and heavy sound. We have been anxiously waiting for their return to the northwest, and the Good Times Ahead Tour definitely did not disappoint. The tour did well to showcase their debut studio album Good Times Ahead. Plus, they even remixed some of our favorites, and gave us a good dose of trap and bass. We had DMNW crew at both the Vancouver and Seattle shows, so we have two perspectives from the same tour.
For those who may not know, when you first enter Celebrities you can’t see the stage. This is unique for a club experience, and it allows for the lights and visual production to remain a surprise until you get to the dance floor. Team EZY was on when we arrived, and the crowd was already deep in party mode. Team EZY’s blend of funky hip hop was a great way to get the night started. The drink lines weren’t long, so we were able to grab something and find a spacious spot to dance.
Sleepy Tom was next, and he really kept up the vehemence until GTA’s performance. The Vancouver local incorporated his usual trap sound with old school and disco tunes, which the crowd was very enthusiastic about. Sleepy Tom started winding down the set with his hit Be Right There. Everyone lost it and started dancing at max velocity. That excitement carried into Sleepy Tom’s last song, and the anticipation grew more and more for GTA’s set.
They opened up their set with their most recent hit, Get It All (feat. Wax Motif). The song had over 1 million plays in the first month of its release, and for good reason. Its blend of hip hop/R&B vocals, plus deep, funky, and melodic sound made this a great set opener. Admittedly, it was one of the top songs we were looking forward to hearing.
There was also great light production set up in the venue. Lights were lined behind the stage and then curved up along most of the ceiling. GTA utilized all of the lights in Celebrities to create an encompassing visual presentation. The lights and patterns were clear behind center stage, but also pixelated and projected up on the ceiling.
One of our favorite things about GTA’s set was how they read their crowd. It was as if they knew what everyone wanted to hear, and when the timing would be best. The duo would play a specific song or a heavy rendition, and in an instant the entire club was jumping and dancing. The duo dropped hits like Hotline Bling into a Jauz song, a new Closer remix, and Feel It. These are just a few examples of some of the moments that got the crowd going, and that energy carried through the performance up until the last song.
The Good Times Ahead Tour hit Seattle the next night at Showbox Sodo. The Northwest is known for going hard at shows, and it was surely nothing less than wild that night. Sleepy Tom starts crowd surfing part way through GTA, which definitely added some extra hype.
Even one of our other writers also got caught up in the midst.
The momentum of the show did not stop there. GTA did a great job of energizing the crowd and contributing to the good vibes. Natasha Turner, our GTA giveaway winner, said the night had an infectious “Mad Decent/OWLSA vibe” that made the crowd “go HAM”.
The last hour of the show was filled with mosh-pits towards the front. Our staff writer at the Seattle show described this tour as one of the rowdiest he’s been to in a while. And we couldn’t agree more. Each artist on the tour brought their best, and kept the crowd going from beginning to end.
https://twitter.com/emma_holmberg19/status/782712371273871360
If you have the opportunity to see the Good Times Ahead Tour, please do! This is what you’re missing out on if you don’t (which could cause some serious FOMO). This tour definitely got us excited for the album. Luckily, we don’t have to wait too long, as GTA’s album Good Times Ahead will be released this Friday, October 7th. You can pre-order the album here.
Feature image photo by Jasmine Safaein @yasi
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