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Popular EDM group Cheat Codes gave an electric performance at the Westcott Theater on Sunday. Despite taking place on a Sunday night, the venue had a turnout of a couple hundred people. Two young attendees, Aiden Usher and Barrett Howard, expressed their excitement for the concert.

Usher, a senior at Jamesville-DeWitt High School who recently finished his college applications, said that “Syracuse doesn’t have big names very often.” He said that he wanted to see this concert because his brother had seen Cheat Codes in concert twice and liked their music.

Howard, Usher’s friend who attends Manlius Pebble Hill School, tagged along for the show.

“I don’t know them, but it’ll be fun,” Howard said. “This is my first concert, and I’m very excited.”

Cheat Codes, a trio consisting of DJs Trevor Dahl, KEVI and Matthew Russell, performed their 18th show on the Hellraisers Tour in Syracuse following a show in New York City the night before.

MADDS, a DJ and producer originally from South Africa, opened for the trio with a mix of songs including remixes of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and Halsey’s “Colors.” JUICEBOX also performed before the main act at around 8 p.m., two hours before the opening act, Cheat Codes took the stage.

The DJ group performed a medley of their hit songs, including “No Promises,” “Shed a Light,” “Feels Great” and their new single “Memory.”

The group played their debut single from 2015, “Visions,” early on in the show, which they said is always a special song for them to perform. Cheat Codes also performed EDM remixes of “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd and “Easy on Me” by Adele, which the crowd joined in singing, after encouragement from the trio.

Dahl, who also acts as the group’s lead singer, had some fun by jumping into the crowd during the song “Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On).” He took selfies with fans and acknowledged heartfelt messages that crowd members typed out on Snapchat and showed him on their phone screens. In response, he blew them kisses and made hearts with his hands.

MADDS, a DJ and producer originally from South Africa, opened for the trio with a mix of songs, including a remix of Halsey’s “Colors.”
Corey Henry | Senior Staff Photographer

The group called out to the audience multiple times to share their love for Syracuse. This was not Cheat Codes’ first time in the area — in 2017, they performed at the New York State Fair in the Chevy Court lineup.

Audience members Xihan Chen and Miranda Gregory anticipated having a blast during the concert. Gregory, a 2021 SUNY-ESF graduate, said her excitement for the show stemmed from her love for EDM music.

“I saw Loud Luxury in concert recently, and it was so much fun. I’m hoping for a similar night,” Gregory said.

Chen, a senior studying accounting and public health at Syracuse University, said that Gregory wanted him to go and he was looking forward to dancing and having fun with his friends.

Toward the end of the show, during the group’s performance of their remixed track, “Pretty Girl,” Cheat Codes gave a special shoutout to the tour’s head of merchandise, honoring him on his 25th birthday. The crowd cheered and sang along in celebration.

Just before their last number, “Feels Great,” Cheat Codes announced that they would be hanging out in the lobby to meet some fans. Groups of people lined up, got pictures and celebrated.

Jake Goldberg, a freshman in the Bandier Program, said the show was one of the most unique performances he’d ever attended.

“It was formatted less like a traditional concert and more like a rave with Cheat Codes songs,” he said. “The energy the group brought was amazing, and their interactions with the fans made the whole experience very memorable.”

Published on February 8, 2022 at 1:13 am