Thomas Gold at Governors Island Recap

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It was no ordinary Sunday in New York City. Although most EDM enthusiasts had been out and about for most of the weekend, the lines outside Governors Island Ferry went across the street and around for city blocks. I guess we shouldn't have been surprised; this was the return of Thomas Gold to Governors Island, headlining a sold-out show with his infamous drumline and a stellar supporting cast of DJ friends. We arrived just in time to catch Size Records' Tim Mason begin his set. The British export fired the dancefloor up with his massive house-heavy productions such as 'The Moment' and 'Anima', and kept the crowd pleased with hits like Porter Robinson's latest single, 'Language'.

Norman Doray arrived onstage to massive cheers from a crowd that was primed to rage from Mason's set. Before hitting the decks, the French DJ and producer remarked on the uniqueness of the NY/American fans to Elektro, saying, "You do a gig on Sunday, you have lines, you have people on the boat screaming, waiting for the show. It's impossible to see that in another country right now." 'Celsius', his latest hit with Eddie Thoneick, was a perfect match for the mini-festival atmosphere on the island. When talking about the powerful Size Records tune, Norman told us, "Even without playing it, I felt it was a big track. I felt it was really for the big room. Size was exactly the label for that. I'm really close with Steve, AN21, Max, all the guys. So they always ask me 'Do you have new tracks? and I said 'I have something I think that's going to fit perfectly with you guys." Hardcore Norman fans were really excited when 'Something To Believe In', his next single with Nervo, dropped. Norman lit up when talking about the collaboration, saying "(The Nervo twins) are really cool, relaxed, and they love the music. They have the groove, and I look working with people who have the groove inside, not only doing music for music but loving the music." The vocal track is more club-friendly and showcases Norman's versatility because, as Norman says, "I like showing the people I can do big room things, but I can make emotional as well." Although his own productions were high moments of his set, it was his transition from Gregor Salto's 'Azumba' into the Eurthymics' 'Sweet Dreams' that drew the most massive reaction from the packed dancefloor to the beach.

Norman kept the energy at a high level, but the crowd was craving the moment for Thomas Gold and his infamous drumlin to take the stage. When Elektro sat down with the headliner of the night right before his set, he radiated positive energy, saying "I feel super happy, excited, and I'm nervous to be honest," about performing for the sold-out island. "I can't wait to go on. I think it's one of the biggest things I ever did, headlining Governors Island. I'm in total charge of what's going on tonight," as he was involved in every step of the show, from the drumline to the production to the supporting acts. It was a year ago last summer that the German master of house music opened for Steve Angello during his Size Matters show on Governors Island and blew peoples' minds with a unforgettable set. "(Steve)'s one of my idols, one of my favorite DJs. He gave me the chance to play here for the NY crowd and I really appreciate it," said Thomas when talking about that day. But today was his day with a crowd that for weeks had blown him up on social media with messages of excitement and photos of homemade tee-shirts, signs, and even raver-friendly "kandis" personalized for the show. When talking about the city that never sleeps, Thomas beamed with pride, saying, "The NY crowd is really...it's crazy. I don't know what's happening here. They're so into it. It's amazing, so much love and support. NY is really special for that." He also gave praise to Pacha, who helped throw the party that night, as well as the pre-party at their club the night before. "Pacha is perfect for the NY crowd. It's intense, you're in touch with the people, it's not too small, not too big. I think it's the perfect venue for clubbers," Thomas said about the legendary club.

As Thomas took to the stage, local drumming group Brooklyn Steppers followed, pounding to the beat of one of TGold's biggest breathrough hits, 'Marsch Marsch'. The crowd erupted into cheers and phones were whipped out to capture the special moment; it's not every day we feel like we're in a house music version of the movie 'Drumline'. Thomas then took us through a flawlessly mixed musical journey, highlighting his talent for making bootlegs and mash-ups, some of which were made especially for the day's show. A mix of Ellie Goulding's 'Lights' and Swanky Tunes 'Feedback' stood out amongst the rest, as well as another we'd like to call '1234/Wonderwall/Bong/PersonalJesus/Unison', a mind-blowing combination of Chuckie, Oasis, Deniz Koyu, Eric Prydz, and Porter Robinson. Thomas also dropped the rare untouched song, such as new Sebastian Ingrosso and Tommy Trash collaboration 'Reload', a track that is sure to blow up within the coming weeks.

Confetti flew, dancers mesmerized, and giant blow-up balls bounced around the sea of neon throughout the progressive house set. The drumline came back onstage at one point for what is arguably the biggest song of the summer, TGold's remix of "The Wave" by Miike Snow. It was truly a magical moment, as Thomas, the drummers, and the crowd shared the same smiles while dancing along to the upbeat, bumping track. It felt bittersweet when TGold finished off with his remix of Adele's 'Set Fire To The Rain', as we knew the weekend of Gold had come to a close. If only Pacha would give him a monthly residency (wink, wink), because there isn't a city that loves him more. We can confidently say this was one of the more memorable Governors Island shows to date.

Photo's by Cliff Cooper.