Kaskade stages his performance in another iconic location, a Dutch water line gets itself a new Pied Piper, and Deborah De Luca exhibits her hometown in a new light.
During the pandemic, DJs performed in beautiful locations other than clubs and music festivals. Here are five unique venues where musicians have played sets!
ZHU presents Coral.PINK
Owing to the pandemic, the Lollapalooza festival in 2020 was held virtually and streamed on the official Lollapalooza YouTube channel. This four-night virtual festival had a lineup that included Paul McCartney, Outkast, A$AP Rocky, Jane’s Addiction, LCD Soundsystem, and Tom Morello, to name a few. They streamed a combination of recordings from the previous year’s footage, new live performances, and guest interviews as well.
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Also in the line-up was electronic music producer and singer Steven ZHU, who performed a 50-minute concert at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Park in Utah. Two musicians played a range of instruments, including the tambourine, flute, and saxophone, to accompany ZHU. The set included tracks from his 2018 album ‘Ringos Desert’, namely ‘Dessert Women’, ‘Ghost in my Bed’, 2020’s ‘Desire’, and Jay-Z & Kanye West’s ‘No Church In The Wild’.
Zhu has also performed concerts in a number of locations, including onboard the Billings Locomotive, an old train in Montana, where he raised money for the World Central Kitchen, and the Hakuba mountains in Nagano, Japan.
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Deborah De Luca @ Vele Di Scampia, Italy
Techno DJ Deborah De Luca performed ten floors high on the roofs of the neighborhood where she grew up in Vele Di Scampia in 2020. Her nearly two-hour-long techno live stream was accompanied by an incredible display of lights. This area, regarded as one of Italy’s most dangerous, is the setting for the television crime drama ‘Gomorrah’, which is based on events that occurred there. With this performance, she intended to present the place in a different way.
In an interview with Mixmag, De Luca said, “The neighborhood where I was born is “famous” in a negative way, precisely because it is connected to the Gomorrah series. Part of the reason for me doing the stream there was because I wanted to show the world that it is no longer that reality.”
Additionally, in 2021, De Luca also took to the football field for a spectacular live set in the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy.
Martin Garrix Live On Dutch Waters
Dutch progressive house DJ Martin Garrix kept in touch with his audience and engaged with them during the lockdown with some impressive live stream sets from different locations. His quarantine sessions had him performing on his rooftop in Amsterdam and on the observation deck of the A’DAM Tower, an eighty-meter tall structure that offers a panoramic view of Amsterdam.
Additionally, Garrix took to the Dutch canals during the Liberation day celebrations on May 5, 2020. Recorded via drones, this performance gives an incredible view of scenic landscapes, the river, and surrounding areas. A procession of fans on their individual boats followed Garrix throughout his route. His setlist also included ‘Waiting For Love,’ a tribute to late DJ and Music producer Avicii.
Kaskade LIVE At The Golden Gate Bridge | San Francisco , CA
San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge has always been a mainstay in pop culture by appearing in countless films, music videos, and documentaries. American music producer Ryan Raddon, best known as Kaskade, made his mark at this picturesque location in 2021.
Kaskade staged his set on the cliff that overlooks San Francisco Bay. Engulfed by wind and fog at times, viewers were treated to breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge throughout Kaskade’s performance. His hour-long setlist included the tracks ‘You’re Not Alone,’ ‘Feel It,’ ‘More,‘ (Diplo Remix)) and concluded it with ‘Chaines.’
Kaskade also gave a solid two-hour performance at the Grand Canyon Skywalk in 2020, making him the first music producer to do so.
EURO semi-final DJ SET… (WEMBLEY STADIUM)
English house and techno DJ SUAT, stage name of Zach Sabri, hasn’t looked back since he started performing on the streets with a portable deck. His mobile pop-up raves have included performances while Indoor Skydiving, aboard a TGV Bullet Train from Paris to Montpellier, outside Buckingham Palace, and inside a swimming pool in Ibiza.
The consistently enthusiastic and energetic performer made his way to the 90,000-seat Wembley stadium for the Euro 2020 semifinals. Along the way, he gassed up fans for the game, participated in singalongs and played ‘Its Coming Home,’ held a spontaneous rave in multiple locations, and indulged attendees in playing with a football.
About his unique concept, Suat told beat port in an interview, “I looked at the market and noticed every other DJ doing the same bedroom sets. I wanted to find a way to make my content more engaging and relatable. I started doing live content, using the microphone, and DJing in relatable places to connect with music lovers on a deeper level. Since 2017 this has been the ethos for my project and allowed me to build such a broad, loyal fanbase.”
Click here to check out DJ SUAT’s other performances
