Swedish House Mafia's Secret Night Show

Tickets for Swedish House Mafia's secret concert sold out in a flash. In a troubled world, Axwell, Ingrosso, and Angello offer house music as solace to the masses.

I wish I were packed.

What a dream night it would have been.

Outside, the world is in flames and ruins, and it could get worse.

But inside, Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Steve Angello have built a house dome that crushes all resistance.

They make everything outside feel fuzzy. Impenetrable.

It's been six years since Swedish House Mafia performed three shows a stone's throw away, at the then Tele 2 Arena. People love (successful) rich artists. First, they want to grow, become bigger and the biggest. Boast about arena shows and audience records. But at the top, it gets boring eventually. Suddenly, they start looking back, longing to reconnect with their audience.

The secret concert announced just a few days ago was supposed to be "intimate." And maybe someone was fooled into thinking it would be an acoustic set with new interpretations of Swedish House Mafia's song catalog.

Hell no.

Here, full frontal house is offered.

Sorry for the English, but what can you do?

It's so powerful. Swedish House Mafia moves an old slaughterhouse area outside Stockholm to a warm place somewhere vaguely abroad (Miami?). Suddenly, I feel life in me even though the world is more miserable than ever.

Maybe that's why. Who wants to stand here and be a snob when the world might be ending?

"Save the World." "Reload." "More Than You Know." The strobes. The smoke. The flashing lights. It's a deluxe hit parade, and suddenly the "Empire of the Sun" remix comes on.

Oh my God, hold my virgin Red Bull and vodka because this is a house high that lasts until August.

At least.

The bass thunders in the body. Towards the end, John Martin appears in person to sing on "Don't You Worry Child," and honestly, it sounds so-so, but who cares?

Because the Riksbank has lowered the interest rate, and that means more money for shots.

Axwell hypes the crowd, Ingrosso and Angello stand behind and dish out hits like they were plates of pasta.

The new single "Wait So Long" is also awesome.

Rome's last days may be here, but so is Swedish House Mafia. And they party through everything.

Fuck it, I'm joining in. The next round is on me.