Electronic music is a curious genre. On the one hand, it’s dominated by some heavy-duty personalities. On the other, it doesn’t take that much to throw your hat into the game. Unlike rock music all you really need is a good laptop, a solid music collection and the talent to promote yourself properly.
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PAUL VAN DYK & PAUL OAKENFOLD
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The Congress Theater
Chicago, IL
May 22, 2010
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Paul Van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold are without a doubt two of the biggest heavies in the industry. Oakenfold, who has been spinning mainstream since the late 80s is considered one of the world’s first superstar DJs. Van Dyk has been in the scene for over two decades as well making a name for himself overseas. When it was announced that the two would be playing together in Chicago, an eruption of appreciation took place as most of Chicago turned out to watch the special duo headliners perform.
Appropriately enough, the event was booked at the Congress Theater, a venue that although built in the late 1920s seems to be almost designed for such events. With extraordinarily high ceilings and plenty of room to move, both on the main floor and in the lobby, the event turned into something far more than your average concert, it became an experience.
Doors opened at 8 p.m. with nearly four opening DJs taking the stage before Van Dyk and Oakenfold most likely even entered the building. One quickly learns that in electronic music the beat is everything. The wrong beat for the wrong crowd will destroy a set. It is as if everyone is tapped intravenously into the sound waves of the concert.
The DJ is not only a musician but he is also your guide into the inner reaches of your mind. As the beat revs up, a sort of communal spirit forms and the audience takes the music to another level. In an almost symbiotic fashion, the audience and the music become one. The closer you get to the noise the more intense your high becomes.
I’ve been to many Grateful Dead and Phish shows where band and fan claim to have the same effect. The truth is, though there is a bond in the hippie jam band vibe, it doesn’t come close to the kind of natural ecstasy one feels during a good DJ set.
After almost four hours of openers, Van Dyk graced the stage and lined up his gear. To be honest the only real difference between Van Dyk, Oakenfold and the others was their audio/visual set-up. It appeared the bigger the light show, the more famous the DJ. Maybe it is just because I’m an outsider to the genre but I did not notice all that much difference in the acts. Van Dyk and Oakenfold are well known but that’s really the only thing that set them apart.
Any one of the other DJs that were introduced over the course of the night is capable of the same superstardom as the headliners. All it takes is patience and the right connections. I don’t mean to knock the talent but the independents spinning their tracks in the lobby were just as good if not better. I floated between the two stages throughout the night and came to appreciate the work of local DJs like Martin Stoy, Alex Andros and Shaman Koz. They managed to take the limited area given to them in the lobby and create a true party atmosphere for any that would listen.
The electronic music industry is one of David and Goliaths. A DJ’s career can be made or destroyed by disrespecting the power of the beat. In the right hands it can take you higher than you’ve ever been.
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