[Event Review] Martin Garrix Throws Down During Historic 4-Day Brooklyn Mirage Takeover
Most dance music producers would dream about the opportunity to headline a single event at The Brooklyn Mirage. That understanding contextualizes how impressive it is that Martin Garrix just played four sold-out shows at the iconic venue.
The 27-year-old Dutch superstar is clearly still operating at peak popularity, and his music and production quality live up to the hype. Throwing down an assortment of heater IDs and timeless classics, Garrix had the NYC dance scene in a tizzy from Wednesday to Saturday night of last week.
Check out iEDM’s review of Martin Garrix’s Friday night Brooklyn Mirage show below.
When you sell your shows out so quickly that the venue has no choice but to add more dates, your performance comes with a set of lofty expectations. On a prime-time summer Friday night – the third night of his four-show Brooklyn Mirage takeover – Martin Garrix rose comfortably above those expectations.
Voted the No. 1 DJ in the world by DJ Mag in 2022, Garrix brings an energy and attention to detail that are nearly impossible to replicate – even by other top dance music producers. His charm is infectious, his passion is obvious, and his audiovisual production is simply world-class.
Superstar Setlist
As an artist with more well-known hits than just about anyone could list off the top of their heads, choosing a setlist that satisfies the crowd is a real challenge. Garrix regularly handles this conundrum with poise, seemingly always playing the right songs – even if he could not fit in that one song that someone wanted to hear that night.
Known mostly as a pop-influenced producer, Garrix’s talents take him well beyond that limitation. He played plenty of deeper electro house to balance the pop hits – which somehow land just right even when the crowd knows they are coming. Early in his set, he played a bass-forward electro house remix of Benny Benassi’s all-time rave classic “Satisfaction.”
Garrix then played his hit “Higher Ground,” which had the entire crowd singing the buildup. Good vibes remained when he played Avicii’s “Waiting For Love,” which Garrix includes in all his sets as a tribute to his late friend.
Never one to let things settle down for too long, Garrix played his guaranteed party starter “Tremor” and his production team unleashed the full power of their lasers, creating one of the more surreal moments during the set.
“Turn Up The Speakers” is another track that is all but guaranteed in every Garrix set, but the packed crowd went absolutely bonkers when it dropped nonetheless.
All-time emotional classics “High On Life” and “Starlight” were played as the set reached its conclusion, leaving the crowd misty-eyed and full-hearted. At the conclusion of every Garrix set, one could talk about the songs they did not get to hear, but the reality is that every song he played was phenomenally received by the crowd. If only he were allowed a three-hour time slot.
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Never Satisfied
Despite his undeniable popularity and a discography that would make any producer jealous, Martin Garrix refuses to stop creating beautiful music and awe-inspiring live events. His melodic songwriting talents mesh well with many other producers’ unique sound designs, creating a catalog of music that never gets old.
Considering a solid number of the songs included in his set were unreleased, it is safe to say that Martin Garrix will continue to reside at the top of EDM’s food chain for years to come. The only question is – will The Brooklyn Mirage allot five nights for his takeover next year?
Photos courtesy of Martin Garrix and The Brooklyn Mirage.
Check out our review of John Summit at the Brooklyn Mirage HERE!