The Panther Newspaper: Thomas Jack brings tropical house beats to LA
As part of his Tropical Express Tour, EDM producer and deejay Thomas Jack played a show at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles Nov. 27. Thomas Jack refers to his music as tropical house, which was a phrase he used jokingly at first that ended up being how the relaxed, summer-inspired style is classified as a subgenre within the EDM industry.
I always plan my outfit according to the type of show that I’m going to: sit-down shows, I’ll wear a jacket, but I nix that idea if I know I’m going to be dancing in a tightly-packed crowd.
We approached the dance floor, only to be turned away by a security guard who informed us that we had been issued balcony seats. Reluctantly trudging up the stairs, we made our way to the almost completely barren area that overlooked the party below. I felt isolated and the lack of body heat was making me regret leaving my jacket in the car.
After exploring the venue and waiting for people to fill the room, we bumped into a couple of friends who were also in the balcony area which made my experience a bit more enjoyable as we danced and listened to the opening acts together. Before Thomas Jack came on, everyone got a bit worn out and decided to take advantage of the seats that were available to us. I thought this was a good thing at first, but then the friend I had brought along was glued to the chair for the rest of the night as I got up to dance and ran around capturing photos of the event. I know that wouldn’t have been the case if we had been on the dance floor and forced to move around, which would have been a lot more fun.
The show itself was incredible, with Thomas Jack’s signature style shining through during his entire performance. The graphics projected onto the stage were mesmerizing and went along with the tropical theme that he has established. The light show unfortunately didn’t seem to take us balcony folk into account because I kept being blinded by beams that were pointed directly at me.
I noticed that a lot of audience members got into the tropical theme as I gazed out onto the sea of Aloha shirts, leis and even one woman who brought in a pineapple.
The music as well as Thomas Jack himself put out positive vibes that made me feel nostalgic for summer days back home in Hawaii. The incorporation of live saxophone was refreshing, especially in the midst of an EDM concert.
In the end, I was only partially satisfied and I just wish we had been immersed in the crowd of fans below us because I truly believe that’s the best way to experience a concert.
2.5/5 Panther paws.
