Uptown Magazine - Tiesto Review
photo: Jon Williams
Tiesto
Nov. 11, Duckworth Centre (University of Winnipeg)
w/ Dada Life, Darian James
B+
Say what you will about Tiesto - namely, that’s he’s overpaid, overhyped and plays it safe behind the decks - but the 2,500+ people who packed into the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre for the largest electronic music event in Manitoba’s history will probably disagree with you. Arguably the number No. 1 DJ in the world, Tiesto’s live performance is more like a rock concert than your typical electronic show.
Making his second appearance in Winnipeg for Stephen Hua’s Soundwave Entertainment, the Dutch producer/DJ took control of the evening from his opening track. Surrounded by an impressive lighting and sound rig, along with a massive LED screen behind him, Tiesto delivered a three-hour performance that stayed fairly close to his big-room trance roots. By no means a showboat behind his CDJs, Tiesto’s set was built around elements of progressive house, hands-in-the-air trance and even some harder electro. Although the party was on a Wednesday, the crowd made it feel like a Saturday night, lapping up every build and breakdown, tweak of the EQ or drop of the bass. Touring in support of his fourth album, Kaleidoscope, Tiesto dropped a number of his own tracks, including Feel It In My Bones, his collaboration with Tegan and Sara, and It’s Not the Things You Say with Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke.
Other than a fire alarm that brought the house lights up (but didn’t require the event to be evacuated) during a remix of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Otherside, the show ran fairly smoothly. There were no bomb threats this time, but there were some complaints about how long it took to get into the event. There were also some bar-related traffic jams in the Duckworth Centre that could have been avoided if they were placed in different locations, but those minor hiccups can be expected with a crowd of this size in a venue that hasn’t been used before.
Local Darian James (filling in for Hollywood Hype who is apparently on tour with LMFAO) and Tiesto’s handpicked tour partners, Dada Life opened the show.
