REVIEW: Polo & Pan, Dustin Rosata @ Brighton Music Hall 12/08

By Isabela Rocha

With their warm, alternative EDM vibe, Polo & Pan filled the Brighton Music Hall with happiness and positive energy, on Dec. 8. Their experimental electronic style combined all sorts of beats, instruments, and lyrics into a soul-touching experience.

Brighton Music Hall’s relaxing, Bohemian vibe was a perfect match to the duo’s energy, giving the event an extra spark. Starting at 8 p.m., the show was opened by the wonderful Dustin Rosata, a Boston-based DJ. With his indie-electro style, Dustin impressively gathered the rather shy crowd, hitting the beats for an hour and a half until the sound of his voice turned the public wild with the so expected question: “Are you ready for Polo & Pan?” Then, twenty minutes of anxiety took up the space, as the technicians prepared the stage. The French DJs awaited entrance that finally occurred at 10 p.m. caused random strangers, as if by magic, to suddenly form a huge wave of excitement and positive energy.

Throughout the night the duo played through some of their most famous tracks including “Canopé” and “Nanã” from their beloved 2017 album Caravelle. Each song served as high points of the lengthy set. For the tunes, Polo (Paul Armand-Delille) released the beat while Pan (Alexandre Grynszpan) carried the tune with French lyrics in a robotic voice. Then, with his microphone, Polo sang and interacted with the crowd while Pan hit the Keyboard to the sound of the beat. At 11 p.m., a sudden stop of the music saddened the crowd. The duo rapidly thanked the fans and left, without many explanations. Happily, it was just a prank, and after the insistent shout of the crowd “Entrer! Entrer!” (“Enter” in French), the DJs made their way back to the stage with a pleasant surprise: brand new hits that were, according to them, just created on their tour. After closing with multiple songs, the duo left an amazing energy in the room and smiles on the audience’s faces.

Touring across Europe and North America, the French DJs have been on the road since Oct. 13, playing nine shows before their arrival in Boston. Beginning the show series at Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 in Oakland, they won’t—and definitely shouldn’t—settle until their final concert of the tour on Dec. 14 in Los Angeles.

But the night of Dec. 8 will leave lots of wonderful memories to be kept not only in my heart, but certainly in the hearts of every single person in that crowd.