11.29
Tiesto @ The Shrine, Los Angeles
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Now that the 3 days of mayhem are over, here is my review of Tiesto at the Shrine on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.
Getting in/Parking
I arrived at about 10:30, missing Tiesto’s 10 PM start time. I knew in advance that I wanted to stay til the end (I read online that the event goes til 4) and felt that I couldn’t do 6 hours and was going to shoot for 5. Parking was 20$ and immediately after paying and entering the parking structure I felt like a sucker. Out of the thousands of attendees there were only about 100 cars parked in the lot which means most others found a free or cheaper spot somewhere else. Nuts. Next time I’m going to look further but this time convenience emotionally swayed me to pay up and get in there ASAP.
Getting in was no problem. I had a similar experience when I saw Ferry Corsten at the Shrine – get there a little late and the lines will already be completely nonexistent for will call as well as entry. The security guards were in a decent mood (even though the guy in front of me protested for what seemed like eternity until he was finally forced to throw out his contact lens solution… ouch) and we got in fairly quickly. Going through the huge maze that was set up for the earlier entrants was fun. Eventually most of us wandering the endless tunnels started moving the iron gates out the way so we didn’t feel like cows at a feedlot.
Tiesto @ The Shrine, Los Angeles
Tiesto @ The Shrine, Los Angeles
The Venue
As far as the venue, the Shrine worked out great for me. My girlfriend and I both agreed that this event was great because it wasn’t huge and most people were there to see the DJ, not simply attend “a rave”.
Personally, as much as I love EDM events in Los Angeles, I am there for the music. A lot of people at the bigger events, however, are there for the scene, and sometimes the scene involves some really weird looking people who scare me with their getups or tendency to get really messed up on drugs or alcohol. At this event all eyes were on Tiesto and most of those who showed up seemed to be more chill and were there to see the DJ play, not test how many different substances they can combine in one night. Sure there were your drugged up ravegoers with glowsticks but far less then at an event like TAO or EDC. Personally I enjoyed a break from the rowdiness and found it a healthy sign of the scene – people seemed to be there to hear Tiesto play.
The VIP areas at the Shrine were pretty awesome (although I wasn’t a VIP member) – the VIP bars were kind of empty for most of the night so if you had VIP tickets you could have gotten on 2 raised stages in the back of the event and, basically, had your own bartender serve you drinks while you watched the DJ play.
There was also an upstairs 21 and over only area which was great. It was a place you could go to sip on your drink and watch the crowd from above and relax for a while. You could also relax outside under a huge tent – there were some cabanas and a couple of bars with speakers churning out music from the main stage. I wish this area had some seats for those without cabanas but maybe Insomniac was trying to inspire people to buy VIP tickets next time. Capitalism at work?
The bathrooms, unfortunately, were porta-potties and the central areas where you could wash your hands were already out of water by the time I got there at 11PM (first thing when I walked in – dash right past Tiesto for the bathroom!). Otherwise, the security guards did a good job of circulating people to the outside through the back doors and back inside through the front doors by the main stage, so there was no issues with crowding.
So overall, the venue was good. It wasn’t overpacked (intentionally or not we’ll never know) and had lots of different areas where you could either relax or dance to the music. Furthermore, the venue just wasn’t as big as, for example, the Sports Arena, so it was a more intimate feel as you could get pretty close to the DJ and not get pushed and shoved to death. Compared to the sardine-packed stages at the big massives, I would say this was a plus. Of course, this also resulted in a minus – the crowd was just not as energetic as usual. At the end, after Tiesto left the stage, no one seemed too concerned with bringing him back and after one lack-luster chant it was over. At times I did yearn for a bigger, more intense crowd that could bring the vibe up to another level.
Tiesto @ The Shrine, Los Angeles
Tiesto @ The Shrine, Los Angeles
Tiesto’s Set
Let me preface by saying that I do not feel strongly about “old Tiesto” or “new Tiesto”. I like both. I like his older stuff and his newer stuff. I got into trance by listening to the In Search of Sunrise CDs (5 being my favorite of course 
and although I think some of his new tracks are on the poppy side, I overall love his new sound as well.
From what I heard while outside the venue and after I got inside, Tiesto’s set from 10 – 12:30ish was his new album tracks mixed in with his new remixes and “new sound”. I loved hearing his new tracks such as Editors – Papillon remix, Knock You Out, Escape Me, Let’s Get Bleeped remix, etc. live! It’s funny how even the most mellow tracks heard over a humongous sound system can get you grooving. The peak of the night I would say was around midnight when Tiesto really started pounding beats including his HUGE track Four on the Floor (Feel it on the Floor Dub) and Louder than Boom. I recommend scouring YouTube for some good videos of these tracks live – my camera’s sound got totally overpowered by the bass and the videos came out bad.
After that Tiesto brought the energy level back down a little bit, playing some chill tracks such as Global Experience – Madras and some slower progressive stuff such as Cirez D – On/Off, and one of my new favorites – Cicada – One Beat Away (Arias Remix) (Markus Schulz on GDJB “Wow, massive track right there!”). Then he slowly built it back up, dropping Tiesto crowd-pleasers Traffic, Carpe Noctum, Lethal Industry, and others along the way. The buildup resulted in the “old Tiesto” sound – pounding uplifting trance tracks that shook the walls of the Shrine like no other. I didn’t recognize a lot of the tracks because it’s not really my area of expertise at the moment but one of the ones I loved finally hearing live was Dave202 – Departures (here’s a good Youtube vid). Ever since I heard it on his Club Life radio show I have loved the song and even played it in my Beat Connection 2 mix.
Overall, I felt that the set delivered what the crowd came for – classic and new Tiesto tracks, as well as some other tracks showcasing Tiesto’s “new sound” and then moving onto his older more epic sound. The only track that I wish I had heard was his remix of Muse! I love the band and the remix … but alas perhaps I arrived too late, or it wasn’t played at all. It’s a reason to come back again!
Tiesto @ The Shrine, Los Angeles
The Performance
The visuals, as I have heard many other say, were very good on this tour. They varied from 3d models of singers spinning around as they sang the tracks to crazy animations and patterns. There was plenty of confetti and steam to make the night extra special, but I do admit I missed the fireworks from Tiesto’s last tour (see 2 min mark)!
Tiesto himself put on a great show. He looked like he was having a good time – dancing around, putting effects on breakdowns, etc. I especially appreciated the lack of epic DJ poses (*cough* Armin). He even got on the mic a couple of times.
“Hello Los Angeles… it’s good to be home… this is my home now” (last I heard he got a flat here but perhaps he is moving for good?)
“That’s it for tonight. I hope to see you Friday. Thank you.”
The second time was somewhat devastating because it was only at 2:30 PM! Tiesto took off an hour and a half before the end of the show and had another DJ close for him. It was disappointing but seeing as how he was playing really fast banging trance for the past 2 hours I kind of saw it coming because I didn’t foresee him maintaining that level of intensity for four hours. But I lied to myself. And it didn’t work out.
The Verdict
Besides a less energetic crowd and an unexpected ending, Tiesto’s Kaleidoscope tour at the Shrine was an awesome event. No issues with the venue, more mature eventgoers, good music, great visuals, and an energetic performance from the DJ all helped contribute to a great night! I defintely don’t regret going on Wednesday vs. Saturday or Friday (I’m betting those events will be more crowded) – it was nice to go to a more laid back event where I could go toward the front of the crowd and enjoy the music. Kudos to Tiesto and Insomniac and I hope to get the opportunity to attend more events like this in the near future. Fingers crossed for Sander van Doorn or Markus Schulz at the Shrine next year!
© 2009, M Silin. All rights reserved.
