Walking into The Warfield last Friday felt like taking a step into another dimension. The venue was packed to capacity with ravers of all ages, bouncing in unison to the bass-heavy soundtrack that was shaking every inch of the building. Entering through the double doors of the theatre, you could see a flashing 12th Planet logo through the crowd, while an energetic, flat billed-wearing DJ jumped up and down on the stage in front of it.

For the first five minutes or so, it was expected that 12th Planet would try and hype the crowd and start his set off with a bang — and he did just that. But, even after a half hour of hard-hitting dubstep tracks, his energy level was through the roof and 12th Planet proved why he is held in such high regards throughout dubstep culture. Did we mention Skrillex was in the building too?

Not only has 12th Planet produced huge tracks and been a pioneer of American dubstep, but he is an unrivaled entertainer and he showed it. He brings passion for creating and performing, and it is as infectious as it is undeniable. His enthusiasm for his music simply permeates throughout the crowd.

A lot of his set was filled with his own original tracks, but he also mixed in notable bangers from other artists. The Sub Focus remix of Rusko’s “Hold On” and “I Can’t Stop” by Flux Pavilion gave novice dubstep fans in attendance something to bounce along to as well.

Flux Pavilion – I Can’t Stop

Rusko – Hold On (feat. Amber Coffman) (Sub Focus Remix)

MSTRKRFT – Heartbreaker (12th Planet Remix)

The only thing that we can say with certainty about 12th Planet’s performance that night is that it was a show. With nothing but a wallet full of CDs, some CDJs, and a mixer, he was able to transport that sold out crowd to somewhere out of this world. It was simply unreal.

After his set, 12th Planet received a roaring ovation, grabbed the mic and asked the crowd, “Are you guys ready for some Skrillex?!” Their reply was a deafening scream — which unmistakably translated into a collective yes.

Then, just five minutes after 12th Planet walked off the stage, the lights and the giant black curtain dropped, revealing the giant, white stage that Skrillex has called home for the duration of his “Mothership Tour.” As the crowd screamed at their first glimpse of the “prince of dubstep,” the words “hello again, to all my friends, together we can play some rock and roll” echoed throughout the Warfield. As the audience sang along, Sonny slowly transitioned the vocals into his remix of “Just Believe (Right Here)” by InContext and started his set with a few other brand new tracks.

Throughout the night, Skrillex played all of his biggest tracks, from “First of the Year (Equinox)” to “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”, but the most impressive part of his set was the range of genres that he proved to be proficient in. Skrillex has always claimed to be a producer of all kinds of music — just read his Twitter bio — and he proved that he can play it all, too. From dubstep, he transitioned into dance tempo tracks such as Zedd’s remix of “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” and his own “Kill Everybody” and “All I Ask of You.”

Skrillex – First of the Year (Equinox)

Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites

Skrillex – All I Ask of You (With Penny)

It was somewhere in here that his set took a suprising — and shockingly — crowd-pleasing turn when he played Avicii’s “Levels” and an edit of Afrojack’s “Take Over Control” which transitioned into a drum and bass set that started with Roksonix’s “Music In Me” and ended with Knife Party’s new remix of Nero’s “Crush On You.” Yeah, we told you he was all over the place.

While Skrillex played some really incredible tunes, it would do his show a huge injustice not to mention the visuals that accompany the music. Let’s just put it simply, they are insane! Not only are there light patterns projected onto the white stage that encapsulates him, but he has a giant, animated “cell” behind him that mimics his every move throughout the performance. Without a doubt, this visual aspect of the Mothership Tour can only be compared to Deadmau5’s live visual show.

After rounding out the night with a sing-along edit of his “Cinema” remix and ending on “With Your Friends,” the theater lights came on and Sonny came out from behind the booth to meet 12th Planet, Nadastrom, and Two Fresh on the front of the stage. He grabbed the mic, thanked the fans, and said his goodbye (which almost always includes an “I love you guys”), walking off the stage to a standing ovation.

Benny Benassi—Cinema (Skrillex Remix) [feat. Gary Go]

When all was said and done, and the house music came on, we were simply shocked at the all-encompassing experience that this show provided. The music, for those who enjoy bass music, was amazing. The visuals were absolutely stunning, like nothing we’ve seen before. And the overall performances from both 12th Planet and Skrillex were as crazy and energetic as their music. After seeing and hearing these two guys, it is no wonder that they are selling out venues worldwide, and definitely won’t come as a shock if they continue to do so in the future. All we can do now is wait for the next time they are in town, and hope that we can get tickets for a second round.

For all the photos from the event, check out our Facebook page.

Tags: 12th Planet, dubstep, skrillex

Categories: Music