Photo actually is from this show! By Ned Lannamann

JUSTICE - Wednesday, March 26 @ Roseland

Besides their single, “D.A.N.C.E.”, I hadn’t heard much from Justice, and what I had, I didn’t really care for. Still, the hype—and more-so the live photographs—spoke of insane, righteous dance parties. I had to see up close what this thing was all about.

Honestly, I didn’t expect much, especially after my dance partner flaked out. Fuck, was I surprised.

Inside it was packed--floor to ceiling, end to end, railing to railing--and everybody was dancing. I mean EVERYBODY. The people in the wings, up in the balcony, in the stairwells, and standing in their seats. EVERYBODY. Never before in Portland have I seen a show or DJ set anywhere near this scale of mass hip-shaking hysteria. It was mind blowing and viscously contagious.

There are two key ingredients to understanding Justice that I had missed, and they can only be realized live:

1.) The Light Show. It was like a fucking rave, except (I imagine) better. Maybe even Burning Man. Empty Marshall cabinets, stacked three high and three wide, towered above the crowd and surrounded the two head-bobbing Frenchman at work in their fort between. Instead of speakers they are filled with lights. There's a huge light-up cross mounted on the DJ deck, which is a bunch more intricate lights disguised as rack gear. There are tons more lights mounted all over the fucking place and they are all synchronized with the music. Certain songs have certain color themes. Strobes and bright washes accentuate the crescendos and punctuate the downturns. Do yourself a favor and take drugs, they seem to suggest--but the production is so good you don't need to.

With just a naked stage and the duo at their laptops, this does not work.

2.) Earth Shaking Volume. For these songs to work, to really get you moving, they have to rattle your guts. Quite simply, they did.

Seriously, the exuberance from the crowd was something rarely seen. That said, I doubt this show was special--they probably all go off just like this. Complete insanity mobile dance party unit.

Hard to tell what the two backlit French dudes were actually doing up there in their crazy DJ booth. By the end of it, after an Encore, they're being held up by the sweaty, exhausted crowd. Who says Americans don't love the French?