For the second year in a row, Steve Angello has brought his Size Matters label to New York City’s Central Park, this time for two days full of music curated by the Swedish superstar. Over the weekend, the likes of Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano, AN21 & Max Vangelli, Arno Cost, Tim Mason, Third Party, and Trent Cantrelle all performed sets leading up to the label’s head honcho, who rocked the park for about an hour and a half.
Rumsey Playfield in Central Park is one of the city’s premiere venues, in the heart of one of the countries great landmarks, its a testament to Angello’s star power that he can headline the place two nights in a row. As a member of Swedish House Mafia, tracks like ‘Don’t You Worry Child’ have transcended dance music, entering pop music territory and becoming stadium style headliners. Fans expecting something similar to the trio’s Madison Square Garden or Barclays Centers shows were in for bit of a shock, as Angello strayed from his hits and kept with the beats.
While many love to sing along to the Swedes’ many hits, more-so than his former production partners, Steve Angello seems to feel most at home in the booth solo. He expertly mixes and matches beats, changing tempo, and most importantly – keeps people dancing. Its not about the songs and the chorus or the drop, he just manages to keep asses shaking and people jumping. When he does drop a quick tease from ‘Knas’ or the intro to ‘Leave The World Behind’, it just makes the reaction that much bigger. You forget about the songs, get lost in the music, and then get smacked in the face with ‘Be’.
Lasers, LEDs, Co2, and more lent excellent production to Angello’s presence, but it couldn’t outshine the natural beauty of Central Park. Dance music has come along way from underground raves, its a real treat to be able to look up at the stars, turn behind you and see the skyline, Central Park’s trees, and hear one of the world’s best DJs play the soundtrack to the experience. Lets hope Size In The Park returns again next year.