Liam Hall and Ky Newman, together known as Oddly Satisfying, came to Madison’s Majestic Theatre for a night of dancing and unique mashups on their Reunion Tour on Sept. 18.
Hall, who is better known as atlgrandma, is an indie artist who has been releasing music since 2019. Newman, meanwhile, is an internet personality and producer for the popular podcast “Emergency Intercom.”
Headliners Newman and Hall hail from Los Angeles, where the two have created a sound distinct from other DJs on the scene. They specialize in unexpected song combinations, like Clairo’s soft rock “Sexy to Someone” and The Chainsmokers’s 2015 radio hit “Roses.”
At the start of the night, DJ Femme Noir warmed up the crowd with popular girl-pop hits like Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” By the end of her set, the Majestic crowd was hyped up for a dance party.
Newman and Hall entered the stage after to play crowd-favorite songs by artists like 2Hollis, Charli XCX and Addison Rae.
They weren’t afraid to let their personalities shine through their mixing. When Hall purposely messed up a transition early in the show, he picked up the microphone and announced he was “still working on that one.”
Another comical moment came at the beginning of the show, when Newman informed the crowd they would be taking “opposite day requests,” meaning they would play the antithesis of whatever was requested. This encouraged crowd members to hold up their phones with song requests, allowing for a plethora of fan interactions and laughing head-shakes at ridiculous crowd requests.
It was apparent that the Oddly Satisfying duo was intimately familiar with pop culture. Hall asked the crowd, “where’s my Sally tonight?” as a reference to indie pop singer Role Model. Hall even went so far as to video call Role Model to show him the crowd.
Later on in the night, Hall and Newman called for the pit to be opened up, chanting “wall of death” repeatedly as if at a punk rock show, then promptly played Sufjan Steven’s “Mystery of Love.” Unsure of how to respond to this delicate and melancholy needledrop, a few audience members started a dance circle until the next song began.
The wide variety of genres played through the night contributed to the allure of the duo’s performance. Setlist highlights include “Here’s Where The Story Ends” by the Sundays, “Losing You” by Solange, “Champagne Coast” by Blood Orange, “claws” by Charli xcx, “Gnarly” by KATSEYE, “Undercover Martyn” by Two Door Cinema Club and “Smile” by Lily Allen. Any music lover could arrive at their set and find something to jam out to.
By the end of the night, everyone in the cozy Majestic moshpit had danced their hearts out and went home with at least one song stuck in their head.
