REVIEW: Sam Gellaitry’s Pop-Up Rooftop Party in NYC Marks a Turning Point and a Celebration
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY VINCENT MATHON ☆
WHEN SAM GELLAITRY THREW A LAST-MINUTE ROOFTOP PARTY, I didn’t think twice about flying in. Since 2017, when I first saw him live in Austin — just 20 years old and opening for someone whose name I can’t even remember — I’ve been captivated. I pulled him aside that night near the bar, probably babbled something about how his music felt like the future. Because it did. Because it still does.
So when I found myself at his pop-up show in New York last weekend, standing on a rooftop warehouse that, in his words, “didn’t exist — we made it,” it felt like something bigger than just a set. It felt like a full-circle celebration. A moment he had clearly dreamed of. A night he built, for himself and for us.
The venue was pure DIY magic. Tucked away, loungy, backlit by red lights and buzzing with the energy of people who knew exactly why they were there. This wasn’t a concert you stumbled into. You had to want to be there. You had to follow the breadcrumbs. A friend of his, comedian Kyle Chase, opened with a set that kept things light and unexpected, setting the tone for the kind of night where nothing felt forced.
Then came Sam.
He’s changed since that night in Austin. Of course he has. In the years between, he’s released project after project like Viewfinder Vol I and VF Vol II — shifting from instrumental prodigy to full-blown pop experimentalist. What once felt like jazz-drenched alien soundtracks now often holds the intimacy of a voice. His voice. Songs mainly about strong emotions like infatuation, love, or attention. The once-anonymous bedroom producer is now singing, performing, playing with genre like it’s clay.
And now, in 2025, he’s having a moment. The frenetic, wildly addicting song “Assumptions” went viral thanks to a dancing blue-shirt guy on TikTok. Memes move fast. But moments like this — they hit slow. And Sam knew it. This show was his way of saying thank you. His way of saying, “I see what’s happening. Let’s enjoy it.”
He played the hits. He previewed nearly a dozen unreleased tracks — and this was the most exciting part of the night. While some of his more recent singles from the last half of last year (“MORE!”, “INTROSPECTIVE”, “HOME”) leaned into pop and felt more experimental in their vocal-first approach, these teasers were something else entirely. They felt like house music in Sam’s language. Groovy and layered. Emotional and undeniable. And undeniably him. You could feel the crowd light up with each beat switch.
And then Kaytranada showed up. No intro. No mic. Just vibes. He danced in front of the crowd while Sam played his “Assumptions” remix, smiling like a proud big brother. The place exploded. It was the kind of scene you’ll never recreate. The kind that only happens once, and only if you were lucky enough to be there.
As the night wound down, I kept thinking about that first show in Austin. About how wild it is to see someone go from a support slot to creating a whole damn venue for one night in New York, just to mark a moment. To revel in it.
From standing amongst that crowd in Austin next to me in 2017, to building his own rooftop stage in New York, Sam Gellaitry isn’t just world-building in his music. He’s really doing this shit in real life. The once-quiet kid with sci-fi beats is running the show now. And wherever he builds next, we’ll be there.
