Volume 2 Article 23 12-2011 Bassnectar: Live in concert Shari Sandler Sarah Buehler Michael Jolliffe Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/revival Recommended Citation Sandler, Shari; Buehler, Sarah; and Jolliffe, Michael (2011) "Bassnectar: Live in concert," Revival Magazine: Vol. 2, Article 23. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/revival/vol2/iss1/23 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Revival Magazine by an authorized editor of Digital Repository. For more information, please contact digirep@iastate.edu.
Sandler et al.: Bassnectar: Live in concert BASSNECTAR LIVE IN CONCERT Published by Digital Repository, 2011 38 REVIVAL MAGAZINE F/W 11-12 1
Revival Magazine, Vol. 2 [2011], Art. 23 WHAT A SHOW! http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/revival/vol2/iss1/23 Bassnectar hit Des Moines and rocked out the Val Air Ballroom with the wildest of wild concerts. September 28, Bassnectar came and blew the Iowan fans away! Though the show took place on a Wednesday, Bassnectar assured the crowd it was going to be a Friday night experience. Lorin Ashton, who goes by Bassnectar, is a hit sensation DJ who bases all of his jams on the dubstep genre of electronically synthesized music. He performs electric music mixes that combine both mainstream popular hits with low-key underground songs. A master in the genre, he is known for putting on a stellar upbeat performance that will move your mind, body, and soul. Adding to his bang-up vibe was an outrageously awesome setup for creating an out-of-this-world light show. The feel Bassnectar brings to a crowd is seductive and has succeeded in luring a diverse crowd. The show started with underground artist DJ Laura to pump the crowd up. An edgy start to the show, her music was full of energy and rhythmic remixes that made the crowd go insane as they moved to the vibe of each beat. As the opening DJ continued to jam out her sweet sounds, the dance floor started to fill in and quickly overflowed. DJ Laura hyped the crowd up and got them on their feet with her unique punk style. As the opening DJ wound down, the crowd absolutely lost it when Bassnectar hit the stage. He brought a frantic vibe to the audience and made it certain that the night was about to morph into some wild fun. The light show began with astonishing colors flashing to the beat and absolutely knocked the crowd off their feet. Everyone was jumping up and down with fierce motions, swaying left and right to get the full feel of the music. The light show felt like a dream, says Hallie Bear, who was lucky enough to witness the show. Added to the intense beams of light shooting across the crowd, a background screen displayed various intriguing pictures of the earth and stars, pictures of places and people around the world. The crowd danced to the eccentric music as rich images of the world flickered over the screen. When Bassnectar puts on a show he goes all the way and decks out his scenery with a dazzling glow. REVIVAL MAGAZINE F/W 11-12 39 2
Sandler et al.: Bassnectar: Live in concert The entire crowd jammed as the music sped up, and began to sway slowly back and forth as the tunes fell to a steady beat. The experience of a Bassnectar concert is all about the psychology and emotions connected with the music. Bear described the closeness of the crowd in the moment as like being a body inside of a jello bowl of bodies. The energy that dragged the audience into such a cohesive state is a part of the overall vibe of the dubstep genre and specifically the music Bassnectar creates. He played a mix of his new tracks with his older ones, like Wildstyle Method, Time Stretch, and Coza Frenzy. The scene that Bassnectar attracts is funky fresh. The crowd was full of a crazy variety as per the dubstep genre, which attracts people from an eclectic mix of musical backgrounds and creates a sense of unity within the music world. As always, the fashions on display at the Bassnectar concert showcased the spectrum of the audience s enthusiasm. Literally. People came covered in face and body paint, some dusted with glitter from head to toe. The whole arena was swamped with glow sticks. The attire ranged from tutus and other funky costumes to casual flannel. The crowd was beyond diverse with wacky hair colors and styles, hip hats and fun skirts. Everyone is welcomed at a dubstep show, and BASSNECTAR is no exception. The diversity of the crowd connects to the music style s mixture of genres combined in the heated banging beat. SHARI SANDLER DESIGN: SARAH BUEHLER PHOTO: MICHAEL JOLLIFFE Published byrevival Iowa StateMAGAZINE University Digital Repository, 2011 40 F/W 11-12 3
Revival Magazine, Vol. 2 [2011], Art. 23 A Bassnectar concert is all about the emotions connected with the music. http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/revival/vol2/iss1/23 REVIVAL MAGAZINE F/W 11-12 41 4