Throughout the week leading up to Halloween, talk about “Zedd” could be overheard around campus. In Colectivo, Starbucks and even while trekking up Bascom, I heard the phrase “Are you going to Zedd?” repeatedly asked. Halloween got everyone in the spirit to go see the Russian-German DJ Anton Zaslavski, also known by his stage name, Zedd.
Zedd started his 2015 North American True Colors tour in early September and finished up on October 31st in Saint Paul. His second to last stop was here in Madison on Friday, October 30th in Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center. As a prominent electronic house music producer and DJ, Zedd is recognized for his top hits “Clarity (feat. Foxes),” “Stay the Night” and “Beautiful Now.” Although Zedd is only on his second tour, he is one of the fastest rising stars in electronic dance music. Zedd has generated a large following since collaborating with artists such as Jon Bellion, Ellie Goulding and Selena Gomez and even producing remixes for artists like Lady Gaga.
After insurmountable amounts of hype leading up to the concert, when the night finally arrived I was unsure how it would live up to everyone’s expectations. As soon as you walked into the venue, the atmosphere was surreal. Hundreds of ticketholders stood dressed in their Halloween costumes waiting to get in. Dillon Francis and Alex Metric warmed up the crowd show as openers for Zedd, getting everyone ready for his anticipated performance.
When Zedd finally came on, he played songs he knew the crowd would recognize and enjoy while consistently maintaining a high level of energy. Not only did Zedd play incredible music, but he also put on a visually appealing live performance. Potentially the best part of the show was the use of the laser lights, which gave the concert an even better touch. Going into the concert, my expectations were fairly low because I had never been the type to go to raves.
The spirit of Halloween encouraged me to buy my ticket, and I couldn’t be happier I did. In retrospect, my night at the Zedd concert was my most memorable night of Halloweekend.
Find tickets to his next performance here.