The Chainsmokers - “World War Joy” Concert Review
The Chainsmokers made a stop in Happy Valley for their “World War Joy Tour” on Sunday and it was nothing short of unbelievable. Lennon Stella and 5 Seconds of Summer also came along to join The Chainsmokers in all of the fun.
The Chainsmokers, real names Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, are DJs from New York. In 2012, Pall and Rhet Bixler were the original Chainsmokers members. In New York, Pall was introduced to Taggart by the Chainsmokers manager, Adam Alpert. When Bixler exited the duo, Taggart made the move from Maine to New York City to work with Pall. It has been history ever since.
Although they are mostly known for their DJ talent, Andrew Taggart takes center stage for a few of The Chainsmokers greatest hits including “Closer,” featuring Halsey and “This Feeling,” featuring Kelsea Ballerini, to name a few. “Closer” was their breakout song that put the Chainsmokers on the list of artists to watch.
Lennon Stella, a 20-year-old singer from Ontario, Canada, started off the night with her dance electronic music. People may recognize her from her successful YouTube channel titled “lennonandmaisy,” a channel that also includes her sister. Before her solo singing career, she also played Maddie Conrad on the hit show “Nashville.” Her set was quite simple, which channels the vibe she brings to the stage. She lets her voice speak for itself and she represents a chill mood. Fans seemed to be excited when “La Di Da” was performed. This was a song off of her debut EP "Love, Me," which released on November 16, 2018.
Next, 5 Seconds of Summer took the stage and also captured the audience with their energy. Their voices sounded phenomenal and they really held their own on the stage, performing about 17 songs. This seemed like a large number of songs for an opening act to play, but they kept the crowd engaged, having all the fans sing along to their songs. They started off their set with their breakout debut song, “She Looks So Perfect.” They ended their set with one of their more recent and popular songs, “Youngblood.”
Afterwards, The Chainsmokers took the stage and killed their whole entire set. The reason why the concert was full of energy and excitement was because their energy was contagious. There was a good mixture of their own songs, covers, and DJ mixes that they came up with on their own. They definitely were all about putting on a show, including motor bikes on stage and inside of a caged ball.
Their drummer also played a song with drumsticks that were covered in flames. There were times where it felt like it was Cirque de Solei and it was easy to forget it was a concert. They were also extremely passionate about their stage aesthetic because it was a consistent light show, including strobing, fire, neon lights, and so much more. It was a must-see show, including for the people who feel like EDM music isn’t the type of music they enjoy.
Emily Mugno is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To e-mail her, contact esm6@psu.edu.
