I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I should come right out and say it: my name is Molly, and I’m a Francophile. Clichéd, but true—I read French street-style blogs, I am an obsessive stinky-cheese fan, I’ve visited France on multiple occasions, and I studied the language for close to nine years. (Which means I can speak it well enough to order something complicated in a restaurant, but not well enough to have a discussion about Truffaut.) So I was easily won over by Justice, the French electro-pop band whose tunes you can hear virtually everywhere nowadays.
Justice is touring now in support of their excellent sophomore release, Audio, Video, Disco, and last Friday, I saw them at NYC’s Terminal 5. Though I love their music, I wasn’t expecting much from the show. Electronic acts aren’t typically that visually interesting when they’re performing live—why pay hard-earned cash to watch dudes stand behind a console, twirling knobs? But walking into Terminal 5 was like walking into an amped-up, ultra-cheerful sauna. The view from the balcony was bonkers–I couldn’t stop watching the sea of bouncing, sweating masses moving in time to the music. The bass was deafening, so loud I could feel it reverberating in my chest, which just made my dancing more frenetic. The band was flanked by massive speakers that were tricked out with lights that flashed in time to the melodies. They gave me something to gawk at when my feet started to hurt from excessive rocking-out.
I may have incurred long-term hearing loss, but it was worth it–the show was one of the most fun I’ve seen in years. If Justice comes to your town, I implore you to check them out. Whether you’re a Francophile or just enjoy the occasional french fry, you won’t be disappointed by the high-energy insanity. Tour dates are here.
Concert photos by Andrew Landry
