From the floor of LA’s fabulous Kia Forum, the arena’s imposing stage looked like a technicolored spaceship.
Standing front and center was its conductor and commander, John Summit. A vanguard of today’s dance music space, Summit seemed at ease as the sharp-edged vessel hovered and hypnotized, embracing the cheers as he pivoted through a symphony of soundscapes for two hours.
The show wrapped up a trio of sold-out performances Summit made inside the famed Inglewood venue. As part of his “Comfort in Chaos” tour, the Chicago native embraced the City of Angels and offered exclusive experiences only on display at these LA concerts.
One of those experiences was an angelic opening performance of his “Where You Are,” his stratospheric dance anthem with HAYLA. Named one of EDM.com’s best songs of 2023, the track and its soaring chorus were beautifully reimagined by a live orchestra.
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As cheers reverberated from the walls of the storied site, the symphony faded and Summit shifted the gears of his spacecraft. Punching it into overdrive, he was relentless, delivering an exhibition of electronic euphoria.
Throughout the course of the exhilarating night, Summit ran the gamut of his personal catalog. From “Eat The Bass” to “Human” and “What A Life”—and Odd Mob’s massive remix of “Palm of My Hands”—he seamlessly cycled through his recent hits alongside his earlier projects.
Nat Goldie
Additional moments reserved specifically for the audience at the Forum included a string of special guest performances. These included Paige Cavell, who took to the stage for a live rendition of “Tears,” and KOATES, who emerged later to perform “Undo.”
The live orchestra returned to the front of the space capsule once again, this time with Julia Church. Her stunning live performance of “Go Back” was a feast to the ears, her melodic notes elevated by the soaring instrumentation alongside her.
Nat Goldie
The final special guest lending her talents to Summit’s spectacle was none other than powerhouse vocalist, HAYLA. Having contributed to not one, but two of Summit’s biggest records in the last year, her vocals were fitting for the conclusion of a show of this caliber.
For HAYLA’s first appearance, Summit relinquished control of the vessel and allowed her to command the audience before her. Impassioned and in unison, a sea of hypnotized humans sang along, hanging on to every syllable of “Where You Are.”
Nat Goldie
HAYLA returned shortly thereafter, this time in the company of the live orchestra for one final number, “Shiver.” What followed was an exhilarating concoction of dance music nirvana. The subtlety of the string instrumentation paired with HAYLA’s live vocals and the driving bass thumping from the speakers was literal music to our ears.
If an alien life form ever visited our troubled, turbulent planet and wanted to know what could sow division in our world, I would bring them to the last few minutes of this show. From the top rows to the floor of the Forum, everyone seemed to be in a moment of pure ecstasy.
c/o Press
The entirety of Summit’s two-hour renegade was a safeguard from the ongoing of the outside world. As captain of the spacecraft, he carefully guided the audience through a kaleidoscopic visual and auditory journey.
Summit’s mastery of his craft, paired with state-of-the-art production allowed us to suspend our realities, allowing for a brief moment of comfort in chaos.
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