Electronic music has seen an incredible surge of popularity in the past few years, consequently bringing an array of new experimental musicians to the public’s eye. One such team of artists is Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken of Big Gigantic; a duo whose presence has grown to be as big as their name suggests.
Big G has been creating and sharing music in the vein of jamtronica since 2009. Their style of music marries an electronic foundation to traditional jam styles. So while they do rock the laptop onstage like most contemporary DJs and producers, Lalli and Salken keep their musicianship at the forefront of their live shows. Salken lays down the licks on the drums while Lalli absolutely kills it on the saxophone. And trust me, my description is merely skimming the surface. Lalli’s impressive execution and consistent style on the sax is what makes Big G so unique. Apart from other fellow jamtronia artists like Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) and Lotus, the inclusion of the saxophone in their work allows Big G to explore and incorporate elements of jazz into their sonic experience. The exploration of jazz alongside electronic music shines through in nearly all of Big G’s work.
What I love most about this pair of musicians is the way they’ve truly honed their skills and style to create a sound that is so unmistakably Big G. Once you’ve given their music a thorough listen, it’s hard to mistake one of their tracks again. Their most recent full-length release, Nocturnal, completely demonstrates their signature style and consistency. The album flows with a beautiful synergy, weaving together peaks of hot, expressive saxophone jams with valleys of swaying electronic beats. “Beginning of the End” is one of the album’s standout jams, and a definite highlight of Big G’s live shows. Check it out below:
The boys from Big Gigantic are no strangers to an insane tour schedule. And it’s not uncommon for Big G fans to have seen a handful of their live performances, simply because they’re hard to avoid! Lalli and Salken have spent a lot of time on the road, playing a nice range of shows from intimate venues to huge music festivals. This summer saw them making the rounds at Summer Camp Music Festival, Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Electric Forrest and Lollapalooza — just to name a few. With hardly any time to rest from summer mayhem, this fall brought Big G on their “Uprising Tour,” which began in early October and will close out in Chicago for their NYE show at Aragon Ballroom.
It only makes sense that this act is in such high demand. Their energy and stage presence spills over every side at their live performances. And the Big G stage setups always impress, too. Last year’s tour showcased a matrix of translucent, cube-shaped building blocks that would cascade with lights and colors. As if that wasn’t cool enough, this year’s stage set was definitely taken up a notch. The “Uprising Tour” comes fully equipped with two huge LED screens shaped like marquees, behind which Lalli and Salken jam on into the night.
The evening’s opener is just as exciting as the headliner. San Francisco Bay Area based beat queen Ana Sia will start the show off right. It’s hard to distinguish exactly what genre she roots her work in given that her taste tends to be very eclectic. I can only say that she mixes a lot of house with a variety of other flavors and genres. The result is a hefty dose of clean dance tracks.
Patrons can expect this show to get pretty rowdy, so be ready and willing to partake in the madness. The last time Big G rolled through Canopy Club, I distinctly remember moving in and out of the crowd without my feet touching the ground; it was quite packed. The culmination of the Thanksgiving holidays might ensure a bit of a smaller student turnout, but not by much. Sunday evening’s show will begin at 8:30 p.m. at the Canopy Club. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. This show will be 18+, as always. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.