You know a concert is probably going to be good when your Uber driver says you weren’t the first person he’s dropped off at the venue tonight.
And DNCE did not disappoint.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, DNCE turned its concert at The Paramount in Huntington into an epic party. When t-shirts weren’t being thrown into the audience, dollar bills were.
The concert got its momentum going when the opening act, The Skins, took center stage.
The two vocalists, Bay Li and Kaya Nico, who is also the band’s bassist, rocked the stage with their riveting voices and pop-funk sound. They interacted with the crowd, including sing-alongs during parts of each song.
Following their performance, the music transitioned from sultry vibes to the Star Wars theme song as Stormtroopers emerged waving purple flags, introducing the headliner, who burst on stage donning Darth Vader masks.
After a brief lightsaber battle, the four band members took off their helmets and the already screaming crowd roared.
In an instant, the air was filled with cell phones, ready to follow the band’s every move.
DNCE, led by former Jonas Brother, Joe Jonas, is a pop-funk band with an eclectic style famous for its catchy songs like “Cake by the Ocean,” which earned the band a VMA in 2016, and “Toothbrush.” Both hits made it onto Billboard’s Hot 100 list in 2016. Formed in 2015, the band features four members, who at first may seem incompatible because of their individual styles.
While Jonas paraded around in a black denim ensemble, eccentric bassist Cole Whittle wore a reflective yellow vest with a plaid skirt and jeans underneath. A man with a mohawk on the side of his head and a mission to keep the audience entertained at all times, in the first 20 minutes Whittle catapulted himself onto the crowd.
Drummer Jack Lawless and guitarist JinJoo Lee had both performed with Jonas before forming DNCE, according to MTV News. Lawless was the drummer for the Jonas Brothers from 2007 until its disbandment. Lee and Jonas’ friendship began when she toured with the brothers during their 2009 world tour as a guitarist for one of their opening acts, Jordin Sparks.
With a discography containing raunchier lyrics than those from Jonas’ days as a “Jo Bro,” the subject matter has matured with the audience.
One audience member had been waiting since December for the concert.
“I got the ticket as a Christmas present but I love DNCE because of Joe Jonas,” Anna Russo, 18, said. “I have loved him ever since I was little.”
Girls under 13 years old were also in attendance, proving that DNCE is a wizard at masking the true intent of a song’s nature with clever innuendos and metaphors that distract parents and radio stations alike.
Either way, from the looks of the effervescent crowd, it seemed that the band was a hit with people of all ages. In the center of the floor, a girl danced with her friends, waving her cast-adorned arm in the air.
Saving its most popular song for last, the band played “Cake by the Ocean,” and everyone sang their hearts out to the catchy lyrics. Confetti blasted from cannons, signaling the end of an eventful night – one fans will never forget.
