Over the past few weeks the debate about the commercialization of EDM has escalated. Going into Afrojack, I had just met Avicii’s annoyingly inexperienceded following, read a trail of articles centered on Deadmau5 incendiary article “We All Hit Play,” and seen Paris Hilton’s attempt at DJing, so understandably I was a little disheartened; however, dancing to Afrojack and being part of that crowd was absolutely incredible.
To all those who say that Boston doesn’t support a good music scene, you are wrong. Avicii may have been inundated with youthful and pop-crazed fans, but the ones that came out to the House of Blues Wednesday night were awesome. There wasn’t a lot of douchebags (at least around where I was) and people actually acted like they’ve been to an EDM show before.
Usually, when a show has three openers, your first opener is a fairly mediocre local DJ; however, the Jacked tour apparently does not settle. Starting the night strong, R3hab played an electrifying set filled with his reservoir of remixes. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t play his remix of Kaskade’s “Eyes,” but remixing Zedd’s “Spectrum” and Nero’s “Promises” earned him my forgiveness.
Since one incredible opener just would not have been enough for Afrojack, Quintino took to the stage. If you don’t know Quintino, he is definitely an up-and-comer worth following. The rising Dutch talent, who has risen to fame with the help of his friend and countrymen Afrojack, has a knack for creating that party atmosphere for which we love Afrojack. If you like really good electro-house remixes, hit him up on Facebook and Soundcloud.
After two insane hours of nonstop dancing, it was time for things to take the next level. Afrojack’s show is all about loosing control and letting the music take you over. With an epic yet simple entrance, Afrojack had the crowed begging to be swept away by his heart pounding house. He obliged with a barrage of heavy hitters like “Take Over Control,” “No Beef,” and a “Give Me Everything Tonight” remix. Afrojack may have played a fair amount of pop house, but when you are getting sprayed with champagne and confetti, who cares?
Just about everyone in the EDM world is talking about “button pushers” and David Guetta ruing house music, but honestly, as long as the crowed is awesome the show will be fun. For a while I was on the boat that it was the DJ and the lights that make the shows crazy; after seeing Afrojack I realize how incredibly wrong I was. It’s all about the fans. The show was awesome and all three DJs had incredible sets, but they all also knew how to entertain a crowd, and that is what matters.
In short, If you have never seen Afrojack, R3hab, or Quintino, do that.
