Review: Wolfgang Gartner at Webster Hall NYC 4.20.12

Attempting to maintain a rhythm at a Wolfgang Gartner show poses a greater challenge than one would assume. Because of his fairly unpredictable style, without some intimate recognition of the current songs, you could very well look a fool while trying to bust a move. However, that never stops anyone from trying. The scene at Webster’s Girls & Boys was a mix of high energy with a subtle hint of chiller, probably due to the holiday that turned the Grand Ballroom into a den of dank, the smell of which did not let up for most of the night. Webster frequenters, please invest in deodorant. (Side note: I swear in the middle of the night I think I was standing next to a guy that smelled like fresh laundry. Oh, brave knight of cleanliness you will forever have my love and adoration.)

While Mr. Gartner let out a twisting synth opera during his two hour set, the speakers’ frequency range could not quite handle the full range, leaving much to be desired in the ear drum department. It was somehow both too loud and not quite loud enough. Minus 5.

Later in the night, when I heard the deliciously ominous rise of “Illmerica”, a song I swear I could recognize when the first few beats were still hidden under the tune that preceded it, I was ready for the insanity that would ensue. Instead however, all I saw was about 50 people’s phones in the air, recording for the majority of one of the most high energy and danceable songs of the night. Why are you not dancing? What is the point of buying a ticket to see Wolfgang Gartner if you’re not going to dance? What are you even doing here? I understand wanting to document a moment, but sacrificing up to 5 minutes of fun for a shitty video is just unacceptable sometimes.

Besides the phone trolls and the hot sweaty mess, however, the evening made for a pretty lively set. Sometimes, the music is so good, you can rise above whatever is surrounding it. “Space Junk” and “The Devil’s Den” kicked the event into high gear early on and “Animal Rights” rounded out the evening with a momentum that lasted to the final notes.

Article by: Alessandra Calderin