It’s 4 pm on a breezy Sunday at Under the K Bridge Park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Bubbles float in the sky and soft house music plays in the background.
Chris Lake will perform at 7:30 after his Saturday show was canceled due to thunderstorms. Today, he’ll feature a two-stage spectacle, dozens of first-time musicians, and a 2.5-hour set from the Scottish legend himself.
Although it’s still early, the park is starting to feel like its own little world under the bridge.. Groups of friends jumped and formed a circle on the second stage of Renegade. Boomers, Millennials and Gen Zers bang their heads to the music on the main stage while sweat drips from their foreheads and whoops float through the crowd.
Show headliners Tiga and AYYBO played back-to-back hype-building sets at the Lake. The bass beats were heavy, the tempos were fluctuating around 130 BPM, and an inflatable giraffe came into the middle of the GA crowd, slowly floating.
What is it like to see Chris Lake live?
At 7:27 pm, Lake arrived with a small smile as he put on his headphones and played the first song that joined the lineup. “Sorry, you dropped something… the bass.” The crowd roared, everything echoed. It’s surprising that only some fans know that the sample actually comes from a viral video where a fan said the same thing to Chris.
From then on, the tempo didn’t budge, each song harder than the last. Before we know it, it’s Lake’s most famous track “start” it was heard. Fans on all sides knew the names, shouting, wellbegging the 43-year-old turntablist to keep playing. Hips moved, somewhere out of the corner of my eye, I saw smelling salt being passed, and the couple kissed, squirming as the heavy drop hit.
He didn’t hesitate to give a nod to other DJs. Lake created a remix of Jello & Andrew Son’s “Put ‘Em Out” during the drop that echoed hard and fast, hands, fists and hips all pumped in one direction.
Other credits included a remix of Prospa and Cloonee “Free Your Mind” when Lake raised his arms in the air, swaying as the fans danced, swayed and heard the bass. My favorite moment would have to be when Lake blows up the ANOTRs “Talk to You.” A subtle thrum filled the air as the sky turned pink. You can almost hear the sound.
That something Lake does very well: He can build a track around a heavy bassline, but it doesn’t sound like bass for bass’ sake. There are always small selections of instruments, vocal samples and musical shifts that make the drop sound achieved, not just noise.
Before the show, Lake told The Post that while he can get technical, he never tries to make his sets feel chaotic. For him, it comes down to one deceptively simple thing.
“At the end of the day, I want to make sure I play the right beat at the right time and get people dancing,” Lake said.
That’s exactly what Sunday’s sunset felt like: music that moved with the crowd, not around them.
The music continued long after the sun had set, the drinks were being spilled, and the giraffe was still humming along in the background. The lake was constantly moving between heavy drops, grinding the masses, incl “Psycho,” “La Noche,” “In Yuma” and a Skrillex moment that sent the crowd into a frenzy again.
The Skrillex nod makes sense. When asked about the people in his life he likes to see live or work with, Lake said he has “loads,” adding that he’s lucky because “his best mates are talented as f—.” He called Chris Lorenzo, Fisher and Skrillex “real friends.”
“We sit and create together,” said Lake. “It’s not work. It’s just sitting around relaxing and having fun.”
Then “Turn Off the Lights” he came.
The crowd roared in unison, shouting Lake’s signature words back to him. There was no fancy production – just a few simple panels and a haunting music. The crowd was so packed now there was no room to move, and trust me, you wanted to be close to the speakers. Anywhere to the side and the music sounded wonky. As the night darkens, the phones provide a great light in the evening as the shadows are caught in a hidden kiss, two friends linking hands as they pump their fists in the air.
That’s how the night ended.
Now, unlike Friday night, no, we didn’t get to see the Knicks win Game 2 of the NBA Finals behind the screens where Chris DJed, or the set that somehow went on until 12:30 as the mayor called the Lake team to let them know they could continue playing because the Knicks won – now that would have been a moment to watch.
Instead, I have to stand there with the wind in my hair looking at the Lake “Turn Off the Lights” on the weekend.
Is seeing Chris Lake live worth it?
In fact, I didn’t know that Lake’s schedule had changed. My non-EDM boyfriend asked “are we really going to be there until 10 and I’m not coming for four more hours?”
I felt bad but I decided to make the most of it. We gave the second stage a chance, we watched the new DJs and when Lake entered, those hours of waiting were very special.
“My feet are killing me, my back is going up,” Lake said, explaining what he hopes fans will feel at the end. “But I had the best two hours of my life.”
Even my boyfriend had his phone up, recording every minute and screaming, “I dig this! I dig this!” so much I thought my eardrums were going to pop.
And really, that’s the best review I can give: The Lake set makes the drunken early 20-somethings, the full crowd and the lukewarm $7 water in a can worth it.
I can’t wait until the lights go out and I get a chance to see him again.
Where is Chris Lake playing next?
A complete calendar including all North American tour dates, venues and links to purchase tickets can be found below.
| Chris Lake tour dates |
|---|
| June 19 at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Los Angeles, CA |
| June 20 at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Los Angeles, CA |
| June 25-28 at the Electric Forest Festival in Rothbury, MI Four days pass |
| July 10 at Navy Pier in Chicago, IL |
| July 11 at Navy Pier in Chicago, IL |
| July 12 at the Badlands Music Festival in Calgary, AB, CA |
| July 17 at the RBC Amphitheater in Toronto, ON, CA and Riordan |
| August 29 at The Momentary in Bentonville, OR |
| October 10-11 at the Head Trip Music Festival in Indio, CA Two days pass |
| October 10 at the Head Trip Music Festival in Indio, CA One day pass |
Who headlines the festivals Chris Lake performs at?
To make sure you’re in the know, we’ve got all the dates, locations and partners
| Chris Lake festival dates |
|---|
| Electric forest June 25-28 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, MI ILLENIUM, Excision, KASKADE, GriZ, LSDream |
| Badlands Music Festival July 2-12 at Badland’s Tent in Calgary, AB, CA Mau P, Disco Lines, Griz, Dom Dolla, Anhla & Beyond |
| Head Trip October 10-11 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Fisher, Skrillex, Dom Dolla |
What did Chris Lake tell us about his debut album “Chemistry”?
Lake told The Post that he didn’t start out thinking about “Chemistry” as a full-length project. Instead, he took the album song by song, collaboration by collaboration.
“I focused [more] in a collaborative process instead of my own kind of sound,” he said. I was focused on what I might face this time.”
Notable collaborators on the growing record include Amber Mark, Black Lotus, Kelly Lee Owens, Bonobo and Abel Balder among others.
If you’d like to experience it for yourself, you can find the 15-track “Chemistry” here.
The biggest EDM artists on tour in 2026
Hoping to have fun at the fairs all year long?
Honestly, the same.
To make sure you’re in the know, here are five big party starters you won’t want to miss when they hit a venue near you over the next few months.
• Rüfüs Du Sol
• John Summit
• LCD Soundsystem
• Zeds Dead
• Dom Dolla
Who else is on the road? Check out our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2026 to get your schedule.
This article was written by Matt Levy, a New York Post events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and other live shows – and you get the best ticket prices online. Since starting his post at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals may not expire, and all prices are subject to change.
