On Saturday night (May 9), New York’s Webster Hall welcomed The Crystal Method—a.k.a. Ken Jordan and Scott Kirlkand—to convert its space into an atmosphere reminiscent of the good old days; that is, when invitation-only raves were held in warehouses across the world, unbeknownst to authorities. To kickoff its U.S. tour in promotion of its fourth studio album “Divided by Night,” out May 12 on Tiny e Records, the Las Vegas-bred duo played a live PA set for a diverse crowd of young fans and veterans alike.
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But first, the French producer Danger started the night with a mix of house and electro beats, warming up the crowd with his magnetic set while keeping his identity hidden behind a full black face mask. Danger gave a final wave before the music video for TCM’s “Drown in the Now” took over the audience’s attention, appearing on two large circular screens that resembled the London Eye.
As the video ended, Jordan and Kirkland made their way onstage, opening the show with their new album’s title track, “Divided By Night.” Jordan moved from Korg to drum machine, while Kirkland provided the robotic vocals live with a vocoder, one of many electronic devices featured in their stage setup, and jumped around the stage with what seemed like limitless energy, occasionally stopping to add some effects via a souped-up keyboard.
Fans were treated to live renditions of old favorites like “Roll It Up” and “Bound Too Long” before the duo brought out its special guest, Matisyahu, who took the stage to rhyme and chant over “High Roller,” a song best known for its appearance in a 2008 Lincoln MKX car commercial.
As expected, the songs that put The Crystal Method on the map, “Keep Hope Alive” and “Busy Child,” were played back-to-back at show’s end. Jordan and Kirkland, who still perform as they did fifteen years ago, even after a five-year hiatus, demonstrated why they are the original gangsters of electronic music.