Tulsa, OK – Not even the February cold was going to stop the groups of 20-something year-old EDM music enthusiasts as they lined up on the street waiting eagerly for the doors to open to the sold-out show at Hippie Sabotage’s concert at Cain’s Ballroom. Fans donning eccentric regalia prepared to enter the venue and another dimension that would ensue over the next 4 hours.

Artist Sebastian Paul primed the crowd as the opener for Hippie Sabotage, and pulled no punches as he worked up the fans into a frenzied state that would carry into the headline of the show. Entertaining the crowd from behind the futuristic DJ booth and singing at the front of the stage, you could feel the positive energy that remained for Hippie Sabotage after Sebastian Paul had finished his performance.

A beautiful haze began rising from amongst the crowd as anticipation built towards the headliner. The brotherly duo known as Hippie Sabotage, Jeff & Kevin Saurer, showed their love for Tulsa as they arrived on stage to ignite the night. Kevin immediately jumped down from the stage and greeted fans from the photographers’ pit as the first order of business. The duo started the show with an epic call and response with the fans of “I Don’t Give a Fuck What” through the drop of the very first song led by Kevin Saurer which set the tone for the connection that the Saurer brothers aim to create with their concerts. Balancing hard hitting beat drops from songs like “Bob Dylan” and smooth melodies like “Your Soul” created a harmonious blend of feelings through the concert. The fans began to energize and the duo fed off of the undeniable spirit filling the venue.  

Both brothers commanded the stage with their own unique persona – although you’d hardly know it from how well the two brothers switched from behind the DJ booth. While Kevin generated the energy early from the crowd, Jeff treated the audience to modulated guitar solos which has characterized the duo’s music that their fans love. With hits from albums like “Drifter” and “Providence,” the Hippie Sabotage concert experience is more than a repeat of the studio production of their songs – you get to feel their music and remixes in ways you never have before. Neither brother takes individual responsibility of the production of their music; the rhythmic flow of Kevin’s beats allows Jeff’s melodic riffs to create the California EDM style that they have come to be known for.

“…you get to feel their music and remixes in ways you have never before…“

Jeff Saurer also spent some time at the front of the stage with his guitar as his fingers danced up and down the fretboard. Transitioning into the sultry sensation of songs like “Devil Eyes,” the Tulsa crowd began to settle into a comfortable rhythm while Kevin volleyed songs to Jeff upfront.

During one of the most high-energy moments of the show, Kevin Saurer leapt into the crowd to initiate a mosh pit that characterized the excitement of the rest of the concert. Enthusiastic faces appeared across the crowd as they were able to celebrate one of music finest traditions with one of their favorite artists alongside them. Kevin orchestrated the mosh pit from the crowd with a wireless microphone and led the eager fans like an elaborate ringmaster. Jeff cycled through several beat drops before Kevin returned to the stage to continue building momentum of the concert.

“…take the fans on a trip that allowed them to get lost in Hippie Sabotage’s other dimension of music…”

One of the most impressive parts of the concert was the staging & lighting production that accompanied the tour. Background lit by several LED screens that danced with psychedelic patterns throughout the performance, the crowd marveled at the animations that followed the beat. The different vibrant colors enhanced the experience to take the fans on a trip that allowed them to get lost in Hippie Sabotage’s other dimension of music.

Throughout the night, both individuals made comments from the stage about the appreciation they had for their fans and support they felt during their performance which marked one of the early stops on their “Beautiful Beyond Tour.”  At one point during the concert, the duo addressed the crowd in a moment of encouraging sentiment. They explained that they grew up as two brothers who followed their musical passions, and that if they are able to have success making music as “goofy as [they] are,” then everyone in the crowd certainly can have success in their own endeavors too. It was a humble show of appreciation towards the fans that continue to support the duo.

While multiple songs could have earned the billing as the “most fun of the night” towards the end of the concert and encore, the night climaxed with one of the most anticipated songs Tove Lo’s “Habits” that Hippie Sabotage has famously remixed. In an all-out celebration, thousands of phones illuminated the air to capture what would be the remaining memories of an incredible night led by Hippie Sabotage.

-Marshall Morris, Madness Media