Paul van Dyk | A Night that Music Rescued Me

As a fan of mostly techno and house music, I was excited when I had the chance to attend Paul van Dyk’s record release party in Brooklyn this past weekend.  Avant Gardner hosted the Music Rescues Me record release party with Aly & Fila and Paul van Dyk each doing a three hour set.

What made this fun was that I haven’t seen Aly & Fila since a NYC show back in 2016.  Being part of this crowd I had a refreshing feeling I didn’t expect from hearing uplifting trance.  I have never seen Paul van Dyk live, so this show was a little new for me. Upon entering the warehouse I caught nothing but good vibes from everyone.  It seemed as if being at a trance concert just put the crowd in a great mood, and the energy came from each person I met. Seeing Aly & Fila again reminded me why people love trance, the music flows through your body and makes you want to jump around.  I definitely felt the love when I heard Aly & Fila’s “Beyond the Lights” came on.

Something I noticed during Paul van Dyk’s set is that there were a few moments when a song came on and in the middle of walking to the restroom or getting some water, I had to stop and just watch the stage.  I’m usually one to keep my phone away during shows, but at one moment during Paul van Dyk’s set I felt the need to record.

Later on, I find out the song that stopped me in my tracks was “Moments with You” off his new album.  During his three hour set, I could tell Paul had the attention of the entire crowd as I continuously heard waves of cheering throughout the entire night.

After attending this show at the amazing Avant Gardner in Brooklyn, I expect to go to more trance concerts in the future.  It was fun to step away from my usual scene for a night and dance with a different crowd. One thing I notice about being a trance show is that I feel the love from the music, the dj and most of the audience.  This one was on those nights where I wake up the next day and keep replaying how awesome the previous night was.