Blueprint’s Summer-Massive Brings Avicii and Mainstream EDM to Vancouver

Chuckie kicked off Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum in style. As the crowd danced their worries away it became clear that it was nearly impossible not to love Chuckie’s infectious style of Dirty Dutch. With a minimal light show and reduced volume, about half of Avicii’s arsenal, Chuckie used his larger-than-life personality to keep smiles on over four thousand faces.

Something allusive happened during Chuckie’s set. The most minor inconsistency during a track transition; practically unnoticeable to the majority of those attending. Chuckie’s human fallibility meant that the set was being mixed live and on the cusp of falling short. A true DJ gets so lost in the crowd’s energy that set lists change and beats materialize out of pure passion. Chuckie’s set was a true extension of his mood/energy and he played it off the crowd with great success.

Beats aside, Chuckie was a great MC. His crowd interaction was second-to-none creating the rare feeling of mutual appreciation. By the time his set ended the crowd was more than amped for Avicii, if not a little sad to see Chuckie leave.      

Bursting on to the stage Avicii began his set with a round of heavy beats. Thousands of star struck fans craned their necks and pushed forward in order to get a better glance of the young producer who has introduced millions to the world of EDM.

Until Avicii only the big four (David Guetta, Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, and Deadmau5) could have hoped to singlehandedly fill the Coliseum. Friday night signalled a historic change in the landscape of EDM in Vancouver.

The crowd hung on every beat as Avicii ripped through a beautifully lit set. Giant LED screens adorned the stage, a small army of multicoloured lights bathed the crowd in euphoria, and CO2 exploded with perfect timing.

After his hard hitting intro, Avicii began to work his own productions into his set. Elated, the crowd unanimously sang along with every word. EDM diehards and newcomers alike were united by their love for Avicii’s sing-song dance-happy hooks; they are infectious and not to be denied.

Avicii’s set was calculated and balanced, the product of a man on a mission: to unite the world under the single banner of dance music.

Friday night’s spectacle was the work of a producer who sought to move past the traditional scope of an EDM superstar and take on the mainstream world. Without a doubt, Avicii is succeeding and there doesn’t seem to be anything which could stop him.