Following the release of his third album Pulse, Gryffin toured across America at major venues like Red Rocks Ampitheatre, The Armory, and Aragon Ballroom.
Gryffin has firmly established himself as a headliner in the EDM scene alongside the likes of Illenium and Seven Lions. With a melodic crossover sound that combines influences from pop, house music, bass music, and more, Gryffin’s ‘Feel Good’ sound has gained consistent traction over the last decade.
Gryffin’s third album, Pulse, was released on August 2, 2024. He just finished up a 5-stop tour featuring live performances of the new album plus the best songs from throughout his career. We attended his ‘Pulse (Live)’ tour on November 23rd in Chicago, and we left the show feeling satisfied after seeing another solid Gryffin set.
Our first exposure to Gryffin was through his remix of “Desire” on the We Are Your Friends movie soundtrack. Dan Griffith is also a former member of The White Panda, a mashup duo that we once caught at Lollapalooza. Our first Gryffin set was at Electric Forest 2016, where his electronic songs combined with live instrumentation instantly caught our attention.
Since then, Gryffin has unsurprisingly turned himself into a headliner. His 2019 album Gravity consisted of his biggest breakthrough tracks before he further explored his sound on the Alive LP in 2022. His latest album Pulse features songs with familiar vocalists like Calle Lehmann, MAX, and ZOHARA, as well as high-profile collabs with artists like Whethan and Armin van Buuren.
The main event, Gryffin’s headlining set, was a massive production. Gryffin posted that his stage featured the most lasers ever for Chicago, which is especially impressive given the amount of Excision sets that Aragon Ballroom has seen. The elevated stage came complete with visuals, CO2 cannons, strobe lights, and more. The music was a consistent, danceable mix of various genres of electronic music complimented by live keyboard, guitar, and vocals.
The focus of Gryffin’s set was on his new album, Pulse. With the Pulse Tour being specifically billed as live set, it was a common occurrence to see Gryffin playing guitar on a platform in front of the stage. He also played the keyboard while live vocals were performed by ZOHARA during “Where Are You Tonight”.
Some of the best moments came during Gryffin’s classic hits, especially when he ended the night with “Feel Good”, his collaboration with Daya and Illenium. He also played tracks like “Tie Me Down”, “All You Need to Know”, “Need Your Love”, and more. One notable addition was the Alesso remix of OneRepublic’s “If I Lose Myself”. Whether he’s releasing music with the likes of Noah Kahan or throwing down a DJ set, he’s a clearly talented individual that knows how to put on a show.
With the Pulse album (and remixes) now released and the Pulse Tour complete, Gryffin will finish 2024 with appearances in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Canada before celebrating New Years Eve in San Francisco. He’s an artist we’ll always see when given the opportunity, and 2025 will surely be another big year for Gryffin.
Author: @michael__premier
Photos: @kamilsurmaphoto
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