Dillon Francis' fun-oriented formula wins support from Boston fans

Los Angeles-based DJ Dillon Francis is well-regarded among fellow EDM artists and fans as being one of the most entertaining producers in the world. Not only famous for his notoriously entertaining Instagram and Snapchat posts, Francis is also known for making hard-hitting moombahton — a mix of reggaeton and house music. His heavy synths and bass lines are practically designed to be played in a concert setting, so it’s no surprise that he shook the floor at Big Night Live in Boston on  Thursday night.

Opening the set was DJ Costa, playing a collection of his own remixes of popular songs, along with some other high-energy EDM cuts. One of the more interesting moments of the concert occurred near the start of DJ Costa’s set when no one was on the lower general admission floor, where fans can get as close to the stage as possible. Instead, fans lounged around with their drinks on the raised section surrounding the lower GA floor, either bobbing their heads along to the music or making conversation with friends and strangers. One curious fan asked a staff member why no one was on the lower floor yet, and the response was “I don’t know, but you could be the first.” In a strange collective nervousness, the GA section stayed empty for another 10 minutes. Suddenly, a couple of bold fans (myself and my friends) went down, followed by nearly a hundred other people. DJ Costa was now performing in front of a sizable crowd that had emerged from the shadows.

Following DJ Costa’s set was house duoShip Wrek, a pair of young lads dressed in casual clothes with sailor hats on. Tripp Churchill and Collin McGuire have been making music as Ship Wrek since late 2018 and have gained support from the likes of Skrillex, Diplo, Jauz and Zedd, to name a few. Opening for Dillon Francis was fitting, as their music matches the audacity and boldness of Francis’ music. At this point, the venue is packed and a couple of balloon aliens were being passed around the floor. Certainly one of the highlights of their set was their deep-house spin on Santana & Rob Thomas’ “Smooth” (1999), a song that has aged over 20 years and remained enjoyable.

Dillon Francis then took the stage and was met with uproar from the crowd as he kicked off the set with “DFR,” the first song off his latest EP “Magic Is Real” (2019). Suddenly, hundreds of long balloons appeared, and they were tossed around the crowd in frantic and chaotic patterns. Francis continued to play some fan favorites, including “Coming Over” (2015) with Kygo, “Bun Up the Dance” (2015) with Skrillex and arguably his most famous song “Get Low” (2014) with DJ Snake. Another staple of live Dillon Francis shows is his ability to remix and incorporate vocals from classic songs into his set. Bordering on the line between insult and fascination, the words “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” began to play, and a griffin-like drawing appeared behind Francis, donning the words “Dillon Francis” beneath it, in place of “Queen.” You could feel the crowd collectively feel a mix of excitement for the song and curiosity about whether or not Francis would put a moombahton spin on “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975). It ended up being a segue into a remix of his song “Bawdy” (2019) with TV Noise and featuring Big Freedia. 

Further interpolations and remixes got the crowd even more excited, including his remix of “I Like It” (2018) by Cardi B & J Balvin. Perhaps the biggest uproar came from playing ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” (1976) without any edits or interpolations, a recurring theme Francis has been keeping since 2019. Overall, regardless of whether Francis was bringing his pummeling drum sounds to the table, or not, his set always radiated positive dance-worthy energy. Fans left the venue, covered in a sea of confetti and balloons, more than satisfied. Later this year, Dillon Francis will be touring with Yung Gravy on their "Sugar, Spice, and Everything Ice" tour starting in March.