Paavo Siljamäki, Jono Grant and Tony McGuinness --the electronic DJs
who comprise Above & Beyond-- are seated in a room in the Gansevoort
Park Avenue Hotel, arm-to-arm on a white leather couch perpendicular to
the ottoman I've situated myself on. It is minutes after their private set at
the hotel and two days before their sold-out Madison Square Garden
show (this past October) --the energy is palpable.
The London-based DJs / founders of music labels Anjunabeats and
Anjunadeep are noticeably elated and still in disbelief over their
upcoming show at the iconic venue on Saturday –especially since they
are the first British electronic music group to headline and sell out the
arena. "Management was like, 'You're going to do Madison Square
Garden!' We're like, 'Yeah, right.' And then we're really doing it and
you're like, if you don't sell it out, you have to pull the show…. Then, the
problem was that some couldn't get tickets. That's not nice either.
Luckily, we got more seating. The more people, the better Madison
Square Garden sounds," says Paavo with a smile.
Their Madison Square Garden show went off without a hitch with the
massive crowd on their feet dancing and singing along to songs that
included, "Sticky Fingers," "Blue Sky Action" and title track, "We Are All We
Need " from their upcoming album, by the same name, slated for release
January 20th. A&B stayed connected to fans by typing up messages like,
"Music Unites Us" (from their laptop onstage), and projecting incredible
visuals on the towering multi-screen backdrop. Here, the group also
celebrated the 100th episode of their Group Therapy Radio Show and
asked fans to utilize the hashtag #ABGT100 in honor of it. From Madison
Square Garden on, it's nothing but blue sky action for the trio.
MightyTracks
From their sold-out Madison Square Garden show to a North American tour
in support of their new album, Above & Beyond are leaving their
handprints everywhere
Words by Vanessa Pascale | Photo Credit: Amelia Troubridge
104 MIAMI LIVING
PEOPLE
