If you haven’t seen Kaskade live yet, here’s your chance. Hitting multiple U.S. cities this summer, Ryan Raddon will be showcasing his stellar DJing abilities in front of some of his biggest audiences yet. Also, announced today was a stop at the Staples Center, a huge step for any performer. After seeing Kaskade’s Trick or Beats performance last Halloween at Roseland Ballroom, I have no doubt that he will be handing down to multiple audiences a show they’ll never forget. The Chicago-born DJ/Producer will be gracing the crowds with guest appearances from the likes of Alvin Risk, Fareoh and many others. Don’t miss out on this opportunity; get a ticket today. Below is a list of tour dates, but for more info and to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.freaksofnaturetour.com/.
Tour Dates
May 26 – Las Vegas, NV – Cosmo Ballroom
Jun 15 – New York, NY – MCU Park
Jun 16 – Montreal, QC – Olympia Theatre
Jun 17 – Ottawa, ON – CE Centre
Jun 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
Jun 20 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
Jun 21 – Minneapolis, MN – Epic
Jun 22 – Worcester, MA – DCU Exhibition Hall
Jun 23 – Hartford, CT – Festival Stage at Comcast
Jun 26 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
Jun 28 – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
Jun 29 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
Jun 30 – Gibbons, AB – Boonstock Festival
Jul 1 – Toronto, ON – The Flats at M.C.A
Jul 11 – Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
Jul 12 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Jul 13 – Tampa, FL – Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall
Jul 14 – Miami, FL – Klipsch Amphitheatre at Bayfront Park
Jul 16 – Nashville, TN – Limelight
Jul 18 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
Jul 19 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
Jul 20 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
Jul 21 – Dallas, TX – Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
Jul 23 – San Antonio, TX – Cowboys
Jul 24 – El Paso, TX – Buchanan’s Event Center
Jul 25 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Jul 26 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto
Jul 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
Jul 28 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Jul 30 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up
Jul 31- Park City, UT – Park City Live
Aug 1 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Aug 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
Aug 4 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
Aug 5 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
Aug 7 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
Aug 8 – Sacramento, CA – Memorial Auditorium
Aug 9 – Portland, OR – Roseland Ballroom
Aug 10 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater
Aug 11 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Forum
Aug 12 – Victoria, BC – 9one9
Aug 13 – Boise – Knitting Factory
Aug 15 – Saskatoon – Tequila Nightclub
Aug 16 – Calgary – Flames Central
If you didn’t believe that dance music has permeated the mainstream pop music industry, Avicii and Madonna have just proved you wrong. Everyone knows EDM is massive around the world these days, but I can’t say how many of us would have ever envisioned Madonna introducing Avicii at Ultra as a DJ that “saved her life”. Clever wordplay and drug references aside, this queen of pop’s endorsement of Avicii and dance music in general has further solidified the undeniable grip electronic music now has on the minds and ears of music lovers worldwide. Opening up with an unidentified remix of Madonna’s “Girl Gone Wild”, 22 year old Tim Bergling delivered a set that undoubtedly left exhausted dancers with revitalized muscles and unmatched energy. Goosebumps and tears of joy surely followed for some. Chock full of “ID” tracks and classic Avicii originals and bootlegs, the Swede certainly lived up to all the hype that surrounds his name these days. But hey, we expect nothing less. If you were lucky enough to be there, and even if you just watched the live stream, there is no question that it was an unforgettable performance. If you haven’t watched it yet, grab your favorite plaid shirt and hit the play button below…
Avicii Live @ UMF 2012 Main Stage (Full Video)
Full Track List:
00. Intro w/ Madonna presenting Avicii
01. Madonna – Girl Gone Wild (ID Remix)
02. Lenny Kravitz – Superlove (ID Remix) (5min)
03. David Guetta & Avicii – Sunshine [EMI] w/ Florence and the Machine – Spectrum (Acappella) [Universal]
04. Avicii & Nicky Romero – Nicktim [Mixmash] w/ Justice – D.A.N.C.E. (Acappella) [Ed Banger]
05. Avicii – Fade Into Darkness [LE7ELS / Universal] w/ Florence & the Machine – You’ve Got The Love (Mark Knight Remix) [Toolroom] w/ Avicii – Fade Into Darkness (Albin Myers Remix) [Ministry Of Sound]
06. Avicii & Sebastien Drums – My Feelings For You [Work Machine] w/ Albin Myers – Hells Bells [Dim Mak]
07. Avicii – ”ID2″
08. David Guetta feat. Sia – Titanium (Alesso Remix) [F*** Me I'm Famous]
09. Avicii feat. Salem Al Fakir – Silhouettes [Le7els]
10. ID (39min) (45min)
11. Avicii – Levels [Le7els / Universal] w/ Gotye feat. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know (Acappella) w/ Avicii – Levels (Vitzi’s Old School Intro Edit) [Le7els / Universal]
Essential Jam:
Levels (Original Mix) w/ Somebody That I Used To Know (Acapella) – Avicii vs. Gotye
For those of you that are unfamiliar with Room 960, it is Hartford’s premier club when it comes to dance music. They have housed the likes of Max Vangeli, as well as a talented slew of resident DJs that know how to throw a party. If you’re in the area on St. Patty’s Day, it would be in your best interest to buy a ticket to see Thomas Gold at Room 960 that night. After seeing Thomas Gold at Cosmic Opera, I can honestly say that he played one of the best sets I’ve ever witnessed, and seeing him in a more intimate setting (like Room 960) would be ideal. The best part? It’s only $15. Do yourself a favor… Buy a ticket!! Support Room 960 and Thomas Gold.
Electric Daisy Carnival remains one of the largest and most coveted shows in the EDM genre, but us east-coasters would have always been forced to travel thousands of miles to witness it live. In 2012, that is going to change. On the weekend of May 19th, the musically driven carnival will be arriving in New York. It’s about time NYC was given the opportunity to host more festivals, and this is a pretty big one. Tickets go on sale at 3 pm on March 2nd, so you better save the date. I guess the only question left is: Are you ready?
Atlantic City, built on lost money and rich New Yorkers with gambling addictions, is now an up and coming haven for house music. Bright billboards advertising for the likes of Tiesto, Ingrosso, and Alesso can be seen for miles as you approach the boisterous and gaudy Atlantic City skyline emerging near the Jersey shore. The only thoughts a sight like this really permits run along the lines of: “This is going to be a wild night.” And that it was. Before proceeding with the reviews of the actual show, let me make it quite clear that I never really had great expectations for David Guetta’s performance, perhaps because I bought into the “he’s way to poppy” sentiment that circulates within the EDM community. I say this despite the fact that I’d heard some of his live DJ sets, and I enjoyed them thoroughly. To me, Atlantic City represented that sense of “fakeness” that some people attribute to Guetta, so I was under the impression that his set would be dominated by his mainstream, pop-oriented tracks. Much to my enjoyment, my preconceived notions were thwarted instantly.
The Borgata is your typical casino; Nice, loud and welcoming… until you really look at the dismay and self-destruction written on the faces of those troubled patrons who haven’t left their seat at the slot machine for four hours. The concert venue, which was on a higher floor, was the polar opposite. Clean, breezy and carpeted, this was easily my favorite venue thus far. Voss water and $12 beers aside, the event center at the Borgata provided something that is overlooked at so many similar shows: Comfort. All night the crowd was blessed with a reasonable temperature and ample room to express themselves via inspired dance moves. Given the magnitude of the sets performed, such luxuries became necessities.
R3hab In The Mix
Anyone who follows R3hab on Twitter should be well-versed in the meaning behind a common hashtag of his: #ChainsawMadnessTour. For those who are confused as to what exactly this means, allow me to explain. R3hab’s musical style is characterized by massive, heavy, grinding bass lines that resemble loosely the sound of a chainsaw — though obviously a far more melodic version of. The talented dutchmen prepped the crowd with fifteen minutes of progressive and melodic house before stealthily dropping a nefarious, grinding track he collaborated on with Afrojack, “Prutataaa”. The response of the crowd was incredible, and I have to say at this point that no DJ that I have seen conveyed as much energy through turntables as R3hab did that night.
R3hab Drops His Remix of Skylar Grey’s “Dance Without You”
As the EDM genre grows in popularity, so do these shows. The result is an increased emphasis on extra production, i.e. light shows or high definition screens and even robots with lasers (we’ll come to that later). While this is largely entertaining, it sometimes drowns out the music, rather than complimenting it. This is what I’d like to refer to as ‘sensory overload’. R3hab sought to alleviate this problem, accompanied by nothing but his turntables, some spot lights and an MC on stage. In other words, the focus was on nothing but the music, as well as R3hab’s supreme skills as a DJ. And make no mistake about it, R3hab is a bona fide DJ. He produces hear and there, but he specializes in the ability to make members of the audience lose their mind in the sets he spins. The best part? No one was as into it as he was. It’s a pleasure to watch a DJ who truly loves what he’s doing, which is why EHusky believes R3hab to be a must-see for any true EDM buff.
The Essentials from R3hab’s Set:
Dance Without You (R3hab Remix) – Skylar Grey- To this day, “Dance Without You” remains one of my favorite R3hab tracks. It has such a melodic build, but the steep drop hits like a ton of bricks.
Throw Your Hands Up (Danza Kuduro) (R3hab Dayglow Remix) – Qwote - Oi Oi Oi, OI OI OI
In My Mind (Axwell Edit) – Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl ft. Georgi Kay - Swedish House Mafia’s pick for the #1 song in dance music right now. Impossible not to go absolutely crazy when you hear this live…
David Guetta In The Mix
Without even so much as a five minute break from the chaos that was R3hab’s set, David Guetta took the stage, now clad with a massive array of LED lighting and 3-D on-screen imagery. Unlike R3hab’s set, the world’s “#1 DJ” came prepared with a mind-blowing and multi-faceted production that supplied all of the sensory desires shared by members of the audience. He took off in full force, supplying endless energy to stunned electro-lites like myself for more than 2 hours. His set, while still affording some time for his pop-star alter ego, featured tracks from the likes of Hardwell, Nicky Romero, and Swedish House Mafia, among many others. Further, he played some of his club jams, like “The Alphabeat” and “Lunar”, a collaboration with Afrojack. Let’s focus on Nicky Romero, though.
At some point during the show, I remember tweeting about the overwhelming, yet wonderful presence of Nicky Romero’s material within the track list. Well, as it turns out, the two of them have been working feverishly on new music, spawning the collaborative duo that will now be known as “Jack Back”. Their most notable production as of now is “Wild One Two” which is incredibly popular, and currently holds the #2 spot on Beatport. When I attended this show, the track was unreleased, and had only been previewed. Needless to say, hearing the track in its entirety for the first time live was a memorable experience, and somehow most people knew the words, re-affirming my belief that EDM fans are now generally more educated in the happenings of the genre. This greatly enhances the atmosphere at any given show, and will ultimately help foster further growth of dance music in the United States.
David Guetta Drops Titanium (Alesso Remix)
Another Nicky Romero song that was superb on the mega-speakers was “Generation 303″, and I must confess I don’t think I have listened to a single track more since then. Now, let me point your attention to a song many profess to be played out: Avicii’s “Levels”. I have heard Levels at just about every show I’ve been to in the past 6 months, but it still has yet to get old. And when David Guetta dropped it at the Borgata, I witnessed the single greatest response I’d ever seen from a crowd. Even the few 50 year old couples were getting down and dirty. Levels strikes again with unbelievable prowess. It’s culmination led to intense chanting, breathing new life into the next track: Avicii & Nicky Romero’s “Nicktim”. When I think about that 10 minutes of my life, it sends shivers down my spine. And that is what it’s all about. Great music, great atmosphere, irreplaceable memories that will never leave you. EHusky bows at the talents conveyed by Both R3hab & David Guetta that night, and recommends that you do everything in your power to see both of them.
David Guetta’s Encore: New Track by the “Jack Back” duo (Guetta & Romero)
The Essentials From David Guetta’s Set:
The Alphabeat (Original Mix) – David Guetta - One of my all-time favorite tracks by Guetta, this jam features enormous electronic synths that fill you up with an “I just wanna dance” feeling.
Nicktim (Original Mix) – Avicii & Nicky Romero - A highly anticipated release, this tune pleases the crowd every single time it’s played… hands down.
Wild One Two (Original Mix) – David Guetta & Nicky Romero ft. Sia - Hey I heard you were a wild one… ‘Nuff said.
On the weekend of March 30th, Killington, VT will be hosting a festival that claims to be the home of one of the holiest of marriages: Music & Mountains. The lineup ranges from some of EDM’s biggest names to hip-hop, jam bands and some others that fall in between. In the interest of EHusky, some of the notable performers are Kaskade, NERVO, Pierce Fulton, Datsik, Diplo and Porter Robinson. It’s a three day event, and the full lineup has yet to be announced, but tickets are currently on sale for $179 (including lift pass), which is really not so bad as compared to many of the major music festivals out there. That’s a limited price, and the final tickets will go on sale in March for $199, so get ‘em while you can. For any other info, or to buy tickets, visit: http://snowmontmusicfestival.com/
For what has seemed like years, we’ve been waiting to hear who is going to be performing at Cosmic Opera, an event at NYC’s legendary Hammerstein ballroom, that aims to create an “extrasensory” experience by playing off the participatory nature of electronic dance music. Axwell will be headlining and curating, and the supporting cast for Act 1 will be as follows:
Thursday Feb 23, 2012 – No_ID, Deniz Koyu, Axwell
Friday Feb 24, 2012 – No_ID, Thomas Gold, Axwell
For quite some time I’ve expected Thomas Gold to be one of the performers, but I’m no psychic. I deduced this simply from systematically checking the tour dates of every artist @CosmicOpera followed on Twitter (sad, I know, but I’m excited). Anyway, the line-up in my opinion could not be more fitting, as Deniz Koyu and Thomas Gold are two guys that often get overlooked by those who aren’t educated thoroughly in the EDM genre. This event will undoubtedly give them a chance to shine beyond the level that they already have, and it’s rather exciting. Do not, however, overlook No_ID, the up and coming dutch duo who have taken the DJ scene by storm ever since they won the “Amsterdam Dance Demolition Event.” Proceeding further, EHusky will now be serving you with a tiny dose of greatness from each artist.
Nothing Left To Lose (Original Mix) – No_ID, Tommy Trash & Sebastien Lintz – Super progressive and extra airy, this tune will adequately set the stage for a night out rivaled only by the cosmos itself.
Tung (Original Mix) – Deniz Koyu - A carnival jam of sorts, this one of a kind track was one of the biggest songs in 2011, and will certainly energize the Cosmic crowd.
Set Fire To The Rain (Thomas Gold Remix) – Adele - As a friend of mine stated today after learning about the lineup: “Not gonna lie, I definitely love Adele. So the Thomas Gold remix will be crazy live” I wholeheartedly agree, and you know who you are (AS).
Teenage Crime (Axwell Remix) – Adrian Lux - A favorite night-closer of DJs worldwide, “Teenage Crime” speaks to the crowd at almost every EDM show. I’d be extremely surprised if Cosmic Opera passes without this song being played.
“UH-LESS-OH, UH-LESS-OH, UH-LESS-OH…” was heard loud and clear as an ecstatic and energetic crowd danced the night away at the New York branch of Ibiza’s famous nightclub, Pacha. The following is ElectroHusky’s detailed account of the evening: (Please note: most of the photos & videos are taken from my iPhone, so bear with the quality. You’ll still get the idea)
Pacha NYC is known by many as a creepy and disgusting venue, while it is home to the best electronic dance music performers when they land in New York. Security there is characterized by a bunch of gorillas that are eager to kick you out for the slightest infraction, and the crowd is routinely filled with shady individuals who like to try their hand at pick-pocketing. Needless to say, some members of the audience were undoubtedly skeptical upon arrival. As the house DJ spun, it became clear that this would not be your typical night at Pacha. People were really there for Alesso, and their chants made that apparent from the beginning. Even the bouncers were in fine fettle as Alesso kicked off his set with high-energy tracks from himself, Porter Robinson, Matt Caseli & Danny Freakazoid.
Only 15 minutes in, and surrounded by some of my best friends, I knew this night was about to be epic. So too, did Alesso. His set was masterful, and the crowd responded in ways that were far beyond anyone’s expectations. I’ve been going to Pacha since 2009, and I have never seen an audience this involved in a performance. Seemingly everyone on the dancefloor knew the lyrics to the vast majority of the tracks, and every direction you turned you saw good vibes radiating from those around you. It was an atmospheric feeling that, looking back, seems impossible to replicate. A highlight for me occurred when the pleasantly overwhelmed Swede dropped Steve Angello, AN21 & Max Vangeli’s remix of “The Island”. The crowd proceeded to go haywire (see video below):
Suddenly, a little more than halfway through the set, the music cut off. Hundreds of neon-clad, sweaty and smiling individuals became silent in anticipation as Alesso raised the microphone to his lips. Was this really the end of the set? Not even close! He had paused to inform us that the next track was a new one. More importantly, a freshie that no crowd had ever experienced before. It was scrumtralescent, and even though that’s not a word, Will Ferrell’s banter seems to accurately describe the massiveness of the track, because real words do it no justice. Listen for yourself…
All-in-all, EHusky would describe Alesso’s NYC performance as legendary. The only recent live set that might have been better was Swedish House Mafia at MSG, but even that is not far above the level of crowd-pleasing Alesso shelled out. He played some of 2011′s great tracks, taking fans on a wild ride that largely recaptured and showcased some of the greatest triumphs and successes this genre has experienced within the last 12 months. For me, Alesso’s performance at Pacha on the night of December 30th, 2011, was the culmination of everything I’d hoped electronic dance music could be one day. HAIL SWEDEN! HAIL PACHA! HAIL ALESSO! ‘Twas epic, sir!
3 Essential Jams:
Alive (Blinders Remix) – Dirty South & Thomas Gold ft. Kate Elsworth Download
Alesso – ID w/ Laidback Luke – Rocking With The Best (Acapella)
Rye Rye feat. Robyn – Never Will Be Mine (Fedde Le Grand Remix)[Interscope Records] w/ Empire Of The Sun- Walking On A Dream (Acapella) w/ Major Lazer – Pon The Floor (Laidback Luke Remix) [Downtown]
David Tort feat. Gosha – One Look (Axwell vs. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Instrumental Remix) [Axtone] w/ Empire Of The Sun – We Are The People (Acappella)[EMI]
Swedish House Mafia – One (Original vs.Congorock) [Virgin] w/ Rune – Calabria
Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey – Coming Home (Dirty South Club Mix)[Interscope]
Dirty South & Those Usual Suspects feat. Erik Hecht – Walking Alone [Pazhing] w/ Pryda – 2Night [PRYDA]
Calvin Harris – Feel So Close [Sony]
Swedish House Mafia – Save The World (Alesso Remix) [EMI]
Armin van Buuren – Drowning (Avicii Remix) [Armada]
Electrohusky would like to refer to The Winter White Tour as the perfect storm. Why? Instead of you’re typical nor’easter that comes with snow and inconvenience, NV Concepts and Mass EDMC will be bringing undeniable heat from some of the world’s best DJs to a city near you. So who are the performers? Well, so far we know David Guetta (Worlds #1 DJ according to DJMag), Hardwell, R3hab, Dada Life and the Bingo Players. So throw out that boring package of hot cocoa, and let some of EDM’s coveted names warm your insides with a little electronic therapy. But if you wish to participate, you must abide by the one rule: Wear white. There is, and always will be, a time and a place for neon colors; this is not it.
The tour will begin in Albany, NY on February 2nd, followed by a handful of shows throughout the Northeast. The cities are as follows:
Albany, NY – February 2, 2012
Syracuse, NY – February 3, 2012
Durham, NH – February 8, 2012
Springfield, MA – February 23, 2012
Providence, RI – February 24, 2012
Portland, ME – February 25, 2o12
More dates and shows will be announced, along with more artists, as well as the lineups for each night. For more info, check out winterwhitetour.com. Also, be sure to check out the Winter White Tour Facebook Page
Also, a special thanks is due for both NV Conceptsand Mass EDMC (like them on Facebook, they made this all possible)
The one and only Afrojack will be performing at Pacha on December 29th, just one night before Alesso. On top of that, R3hab will be joining him as well. This show just further solidifies Pacha’s reputation as one of the best EDM clubs in NYC. No one has had a better lineup than them in 2011, as they have consistently attracted a wide variety of talented artists like Tiesto, R3hab, Benny Benassi, Skrillex and Fedde le Grand, among many others. If you can swing the 50 or so dollars, there’s no excuse for missing out on this show. It’s gonna be bananas.
All of the links and songs on ElectroHusky are intended for promotional use only. Further, ElectroHusky does not intend to steal or redistribute any copyrighted material. If you enjoy the music posted here, EHusky encourages you to support the artists responsible for it by purchasing their work. If there is anything you need removed feel free to contact me at electrohusky@gmail.com.