All Detroit wants for Christmas is GRiZ – and he gave us all the bass, funk, and good vibes we could possibly desire!
GRiZ has a way of making people smile, and smile we did throughout the entirety of the absolutely spectacular two nights of GRiZMAS this year. Detroit is GRiZ’s home, and he’s created this tight-knit community here built on love for music, good vibes, culture, and giving back. It truly feels like a family.
As is tradition, GRiZ hosted the 12 Days of GRiZMAS filled with all sorts of fun activities from bar crawls to roller discos, leading up to two huge sold-out GRiZMAS shows at Detroit’s Masonic Temple. The proceeds from each and every night of GRiZMAS were donated to a charity close to GRiZ’s heart – Little Kids Rock.
This year was unique in that the two final nights of GRiZMAS were separated into Night 1: GRiZ’s Live Band, and Night 2: GRiZ Solo Show.
The first night featured a wonderful collaboration of vocalists, guitar, bass, drums, and of course GRiZ killing it on the saxophone. The beauty, talent, and grace of each live performance was truly amazing and inspiring.
The second night did a full 180, filled with all the heavy bass and mesmerizing visuals you could possibly want out of a GRiZ set! The different vibes of the two nights displayed the impressive diversity of GRiZ’s talents, a man of all trades when it comes to music.
I was lucky enough to make it to Day 4 of GRiZMAS, the mystery event which ended up being a secret pop-up show in the backyard of an art gallery in Detroit. This was hands down one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced, GRiZ went off with a wild dubstep set as fire dancers on ledges did mind-blowing tricks. At one point there was even a girl playing the trumpet lit on fire! Bonfires warmed us as we came together on a cold Michigan winter night, braving the cold to dance to our beloved GRiZ.
Check GRiZ’s secret party in Detroit for Day 4 of GRiZMAS!
Being honest, I was a little skeptical going into Night 1 of GRiZMAS considering my preference for electronic music, but GRiZ’s Live Band blew my expectations out of the water.
Opening with an amazing edit of “All I Want For Christmas” into the absolute jam “Good Times Roll,” the show got off to a stellar start and didn’t let up one bit throughout the entire set. While GRiZ took the lead at times, for the most part it was a completely collaborative show.
Minimal lighting accompanied the band, putting the focus solely on the music, and boy did the music shine. It was incredible to hear all of those instruments come together in perfect unison to play out GRiZ’s music that I’ve loved for years live.
Although I can’t deny the magic of Night 1, Night 2 was what did it for me personally. Golf Clap kicked things off with a banging house set, followed by the man Boogie T with an insane riddim dubstep set. Judging by the openers I knew that GRiZ had some crazy shit in store for us, and I couldn’t have been more right.
Night 2 was no run of the mill DJ set – it was a full-blown performance! GRiZ rapped, danced, and killed it on the saxophone all while mixing up a storm, accompanied by Muzzy Bearr shredding the bass guitar.
I was somewhat concerned that there wouldn’t be any visuals, considering the minimal production from the first night, but I should’ve known better! That LED screen covered the entire stage left to right, my jaw dropped to the floor when it first turned on!
GRiZMAS night two insanity!! @Griz @MuzzyBearr pic.twitter.com/G7qyFI6A9l
— grace (@gbackzz) December 22, 2017
The almost two-hour long set had a variety of elements, taking us on a GRiZ-curated journey of bass and funk. He launched the set with some heavy dubstep, then moved into his hits like “PSY GFY” and “My Friends and I” from his album, Good Will Prevail.
Midway through, GRiZ slowed things down, taking us higher with some of the tunes from his chilled out album Chasing The Golden Hour Pt. 2.
There was also an unreal ten minute period where GRiZ laid on the ground, the visuals turning to the stars of outer space as he took us on a cosmic journey filled with acid bass and trippy visuals.
From periods of straight funk to GRiZ’s self-proclaimed “dubstep party” at the end, the set was impeccable from start to finish. I finally got the bass that I was yearning for during the first night’s jam band, and GRiZ still incorporated live elements throughout the entirety of the set. It was the best of both worlds!
The encore was really something special: GRiZ and Muzzy Bearr joined by a full church choir as well as Mike Posner for a soulful last song.
Confetti filled the air and the crowd cheered incessantly for their beloved idol GRiZ, slaying it on the sax per usual through the confetti. His talent on the sax produces such sweet sounds unlike any other, adding such a rich, passionate feel to each and every song.
Once again, GRiZ reminded me the importance of friendship, love, and music through his brilliantly crafted performances and touching speeches. He truly puts his heart and soul into everything he does, especially when it comes to GRiZMAS in his hometown of Detroit. While the two nights differed somewhat musically, they both carried the same feelings of community and positive vibes that GRiZ works so hard to foster within his fan base. I feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to be a part of something so special. GRiZ is one of the real ones.
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