Kaskade: 14 May 2010 – Toronto

Trying to appropriately express to someone who has never seen a world class DJ spin for a packed dance floor and how it gets your adrenaline pumping as much as a live rock performance does, can be tricky. It could be that most people who listen to rock music, seldom have progressive house, trance and other related electronic genres in their music collection. There are also those who don’t even consider DJs musicians, even if they create their own original music as well as mix it with others. But after seeing the performance Kaskade put on Friday night at This Is London in Toronto, I would be surprised if even the most skeptical listener wasn’t affected by the atmosphere he creates.

The American born DJ and producer was in town to promote Dynasty, his newest release of original material. He did so expertly by keeping the jammed-packed floor moving with a relentless stream of his unique brand of house music. Also famous for his Lady Gaga remixes and collaborations with Toronto’s own Deadmau5, Kaskade’s talent on a mixer is as obvious as his infectious enthusiasm. It only takes a few seconds of watching him work to realize he is enjoying himself just as much the audience. Flawlessly executed mixes were often emphasized by jubilant points to the crowd, met with euphoric reactions as they expressed their desire to hear more. Kaskade obliged them well into the early morning hours and left fans feeling like they had witnessed something special.