As I approached the box office for Dance Gavin Dance’s show in New York, I heard from the customer next to me that the show had completely sold out. Look back a few years ago and Dance Gavin Dance were just introducing clean vocalist Tilian Pearson into the band, and now they’re selling out one of the larger venues in NYC. Ain’t that something.

Back when the mallcore/Warped Tour band phase was sweeping America circa 2010/11-ish, Dance Gavin Dance were thrown around in that scene quite frequently. There was always something off about the experimental post-hardcore act, but Dance Gavin Dance stood out, if for any reason being their non-compliance with the trend that was going on. They fit in, yeah, but kinda like how a goth kid fits in at church on Easter Sunday. It’s 2019 (Crazy enough) and that diamond in the rough of a band has outlived many of the acts from the same scene they were riding the wave of. If anything, this is the success story you always want to hear.

It was after being four acts into a five act show that the crowd started to show their anxiousness for the headliners to take the stage; changeovers had been quick and no one had overstayed their welcome, but the wait for Dance Gavin Dance seemed especially long. With hard red lights and spot-on replication, the room practically exploded with bodies swirling in a vortex on the floor and an endless chorus of the entire crowd singing along to “Son of Robot.” It was a particularly loud night for PlayStation Theater, perhaps more so than usual, but even then you could feel the love and enthusiasm in the room as DGD’s six members took the stage and everyone collectively lost their minds.

I think, most impressively, was how active and accurate the band were in their performances. “Chucky vs. the Giant Tortoise” instantly comes to mind and how I was fixated on how tight of a guitarist Will Swan is. Granted, Tilian and Jon Mess don’t sacrifice their own qualities as singers when performing live, and drummer Matt Mingus is as lively as one would expect him to be based on what he’s laid down, but I still can’t wrap my head around watching Will Swan’s playing. How does their bassist keep up with him? Hell, how does Mingus?

I think what I’m trying to say is this: Dance Gavin Dance gave a flawless performance to a sold out show. Their playing was tight, their energy was there, and they had the material to make everyone sing their hearts out for an hour. Honestly, my only complaint? The set wasn’t long enough. So rare is it that I want a band to keep going and to play maybe… two more songs? I don’t know, but in walking out of the venue afterwards with “Evaporate” playing in my head on repeat, I knew I’d make the venture to see them again.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding this band, but it’s all warranted: Dance Gavin Dance are the shit when it comes to putting on a show. It’s a feel-good, wild and effervescent time with a killer setlist and incredible musicianship. What else do you need, really? Like, seriously.