Tiësto – Staples Center – March 2, 2013

Tiësto

Staples Center
March 2, 2013

This weekend, the mega-star Dutch DJ/producer Tijs Michiel Verwest, better known as Tiësto, returned to Los Angeles via the Staples Center after his epic, soldout show at the Honda Center in 2011 for 26,000 electronic dance music fans. This marks the second time an EDM artist has played a headlining gig at the legendary venue (Kaskade brought his Freaks of Nature Tour to the Staples Center just last summer). Thanks to powerhouse promoters Insomniac Events and Goldenvoice, the College Invasion Tour brought in DJ Alvaro & Tommy Trash as the opening selectors of the evening, which sent loud basslines all the way to Figueroa at an early 6 p.m.

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The evening had everyone from brightly dressed dance music aficionados to older diehard Tiësto fans all wanting to get their EDM fix at this memorable evening. Alvaro did a stellar job hyping up the crowd, as the stadium filled with songs such as Hard Rock Sofa's “Quasar” and Alvaro's own “Pay Attention to the Drums.” Tommy Trash threw down a banging, 60-minute set with a lot of electro favorites such as Steve Aoki's “Ladi Dadi.” The production value was kept to a minimum, with the DJs' names on the giant LED wall behind them. There was a lot of anticipation for the main act, but it didn't stop dance circles from being started and raging to the beat.

By the time Tiësto came on at 8:30 p.m. (which is super-early by any concert standards, let alone an EDM show), the venue was finally packed with relentless cheering as the infamous Tiësto's Club Life graphics turned on behind him. Tiësto took his fans on a two-and-a-half-hour music journey, starting with EDM hits of the moment such as his remix of Zedd's “Clarity” spliced with Calvin Harris & Florence Welch's “Sweet Nothing.” The bright strobe lights and lasers flashed along with the beat, and the entire crowd was singing along and showing off their best dance moves. Though without the larger-than-life production of Kaskade's show, the energy was still incredible and felt as though it were one of the 80,000-people shows Tiësto normally plays at major festivals. 

This intimate affair had a connection between the audience and the DJ, as Tiësto played “conductor” and encouraged everyone to make some noise as some of his hardest-hitting club anthems were blaring over the incredible sound system. He showcased his abilities as a seasoned veteran with almost 20 years of experience under his belt, reading the crowd and giving them want they wanted, which included plenty of his classics, including his Delerium “Silence” remix and his own “Adagio for String.” It was the perfect blend of today's heavy-hitter favorites, his own current originals, and remixes with the songs from his Just Be album, which put him on the map as one of the greatest DJs and producers of all time. He has continued to re-invent himself and stay current after all these years, and that's what we love about him and his shows. Now if only he did a surprise gig at a club afterward, we would have been delighted fans.

Personal Bias: Love Tiësto and his incredible energy, but most of the set seemed a little predictable. We just can't wait for him to release his new album and hit us with a slew of new music this festival season.

The Crowd: Saw everyone from twentysomethings in neon colors to VIPs in the box suites getting down to the music.

Overheard In the Crowd: Honestly didn't have much time for talking or listening, was too busy dancing my ass off.

Random Notebook Dump: We were surprised how easy it was to get to the very front once on the floor. Can more superstar DJs start doing shows here, please?

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OC Weekly - Staff