When Kaskade announced his recent tour dates for his Redux tour, not many central Florida fans expected Tampa to pop up on the list. Despite reservations, Kaskade announced a show at the Kennedy in Tampa, Florida for May 13th. A venue which had previously hosted the likes of Loco Dice and Adam Beyer, the Kennedy was no stranger to deeper music. With a group as professionally maintained as the Evolve Group promoting, the elements just seemed to naturally align for a fantastic night of deep music.
With a capacity smaller than most clubs, the Kennedy filled up quickly. Guests weaved through the crowd to get close spots for the rarely intimate set, grooving to the wobbling bass lines produced from the club’s immaculate speakers. Lights were purposely kept low in order to both ramp up excitement and enhance the atmosphere felt among the attendees. Taking the focus off the performer image, Kaskade manned the decks seamlessly after the opener and abstained from any flair or embellishments. It was all about the music that night.
Kaskade’s lengthy set took inspiration from various aspects of his fruitful career. Kaskade flexed his DJ muscles by sampling songs like “Fire In Your New Shoes” and “Last Chance” and mixing them with deeper instrumentals. This focused mix allowed those who hadn’t been exposed to deeper music to properly appreciate the genre without feeling alienated. The talented DJ also carefully channeled a variety of deeper genres, going from deep house to tropical house to an Ice mix of a song (from his album Fire & Ice) as he crafted his set. The change-up prevented lesser-exposed listeners from finding the set monotonous and more refined ears from believing the mixing to be predictable.
The Kennedy definitely legitimized itself as Kaskade effectively utilized its sound system and light display. Bass roared from the speakers but never drowned out the funky melodies heard underneath. The crisp quality did justice to the multitude of elements heard in the sound design of the tracks. Lasers soared over the crowd and minimal LED panels set behind Kaskade brought colorful displays to accompany the vibrant soundtrack.
Evolve Group efficiently threw the show, effectively setting up line queues and quickly admitting guests without holding the line. The crowd, while partly a bit confused at the initial track selection, eventually dove right into the dance floor and embraced the different side to Kaskade. The producer’s intent to draw more people into deeper music succeeded without a hitch and left Tampa with a legendary night.
Photo Credit: Ignacio, Shey, and Mike Grinberg from Crowdalbum.com
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