Photo by Mark Owens
It is with ears still ringing and burning eyes that I write this review. Last night at the PNE Forum top-ranked American EDM DJ Kaskadeplayed the final show to be held at the venue and brought down the house as well as he could with an 11 p.m. curfew.
As the first all-ages show I’ve attended since I was underage, I can only accurately describe it as an experience, although one that in all honesty could have been missed. From the moment I walked into the massive Forum space, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of scantily clad teeny-boppers decked out in not much other than neon bras and furry go-go boots.
After brushing up against several shirtless sweaty boys while trying to navigate through what appeared to be a lawless crowd, I wiped myself off and turned to the music. Opening his set with “Eyes”, one of my favorites from his new album Fire & Ice, Kaskade got his crowd moving non-stop with his signature female vocals and electronic bass-lines. Doing what he does best, Kaskade delivered a crowd-pleasing set that included hits like “Move for Me”, and “Turn it Down”.
While being thoroughly disturbed by the crowd, I tried my best to unbiasedly review the music itself. Sadly, I must admit that I was slightly under-impressed with the set. Despite playing many of my favourite tracks, Kaskade has deviated from his typically beautiful and melodic sound with hard electro remixes catered to his younger audience. While his transitions were flawless, speaking to his undeniable talent as a DJ, songs like “Don’t Stop Dancing Girl”, and “Angel on My Shoulder”, that usually let me get lost in the music were marred by the introduction of a heavy dub-step-like bass to his set.
All in all, I would probably never go to another all-ages show, but wouldn’t miss a second chance to witness Kaskade live. Despite my own misgivings about his changing sound, Kaskade deserves high praise for delivering a great show. He knows his audience and gives them exactly what they want. With great visuals, trippy lighting, and explosive volume, die-hard Kaskade fans were fist pumping all night long… or at least until 11 p.m.
