The Chainsmokers draw millennials to Atlantic City

VINCENT JACKSON & ERIN SERPICO Staff Writers

ATLANTIC CITY — One of the biggest gambles in the city’s beach concert series looked like it paid off Sunday afternoon.

Thousands of the Chainsmokers’ young fans greeted the electronic dance music duo of — DJ Alex Pall and singer Andrew Taggart — when they came on stage about 15 minutes after their scheduled showtime at 4:30 p.m.

Even far back on the beach, their images could not be missed on the giant video screens over the stage and its to left and right.

After the crowd experienced fellow EDM artist Gryffin and singer-songwriter Bazzi, the Chainsmokers rewarded their faithful with one of the biggest hits, “Don’t Let Me Down,” a No. 3 pop hit from 2015, early on as the third song in their set.

The Chainsmokers were a gamble because not only are they young in age with a career that’s only 8 years old, but they also specialize in electronic dance music, which is a favorite genre among millennials. It is a style that was being featured for the first time as one of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority’s officially sanctioned beach concerts.

Taylor Surina, 17, and her mother, Susan, both live in Pennsylvania, but they have a house in Wildwood that they come to every summer weekend.

Last year, even though they were in Wildwood every weekend, they did not visit this casino resort once. This year, they have visited twice for the Sam Hunt beach concert earlier in the summer, and they were together on a beach blanket at the Chainsmokers.

“It’s a good atmosphere. We like to people watch. We like the beach concerts a lot,” said Susan Surina, 51, who added she loved the Chainsmokers’ No. 1 pop hit from 2016 titled “Closer” (featuring Halsey).

Chris Sela, 23, from Wayne, Passaic County, drove two hours one way to attend the Chainsmokers beach concert. This was the fourth time he has visited the the resort this year, but he never attended a beach concert previously.

“I think it’s a great idea. A new generation of people are coming to Atlantic City,” said Sela, who added he has been at the Kiss Kiss Nightclub at the Tropicana and The Pool at Harrah’s Atlantic City to dance.

Unlike some concerts where no one cares about the opening acts, some people were just as excited to see Andrew Bazzi, 20, who is commonly known as just Bazzi, as they were to see the Chainsmokers.

Brianna Ortiz, 20, from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, was with the second group in line at the Gold entrance. She started chatting with Christa Stafford, 15, of Glen Burnie, also a Bazzi fan. Ortiz just saw Bazzi perform on Friday in Montclair, and Stafford saw him on Thursday in Washington, D.C. They wouldn’t get tired of his set, they said.

“The way he thinks is amazing, he’s so pure,” Ortiz said.