Guetta heats up tour with classic hits, new mixes
A burgeoning crop of concertgoers, wearing white outfits and other rave paraphernalia, draped the perimeter of the Oncenter. Every so often, the line erupted into chants of one word: Guetta.
‘David Guetta is the best DJ in the world,’ said Syracuse local Bojan Atanasovski. ‘Enough said.’
The claim was supported by scores of other fans, who shouted the French disc jockey’s surname throughout the night when he performed Friday. Recently named the world’s No. 1 DJ by DJ Mag, Guetta delivered a performance filled with his instantly recognizable hits and remixes.
The Winter White Tour, which appropriately urged fans to dress in white, stormed into Syracuse with a fury. Supported by R3HAB and Dada Life, Guetta amped the already buzzing crowd into a frenzy, raising the temperature of the room and creating a different kind of winter wonderland — the precipitation consisted of sweat and a fresh coating of foam.
‘I love his music,’ said Lauren Duda, a sophomore public relations and modern foreign language dual major. ‘And he’s a really good entertainer in general.’
Guetta worked the crowd, beginning his set by teasing with the mega-popular ‘Without You,’ which features Usher.He spliced in a few measures of Ne-Yo’s ‘Closer’ before abruptly changing songs, but returned to ‘Without You’ for an anthemic finale. He kept the crowd on its toes for the duration of the show.
His performance was not simply a regurgitation of his mainstream hits, but a combination of new interpretations of his own songs, including favorites ‘Where Them Girls At’ and ‘Turn Me On.’ His set also included clever remixes of other artists’ work, such as Coldplay’s ‘Paradise,’ Akon’s ‘Sexy B*tch’ and, to the roar of the audience, Aviici’s ‘Levels.’
‘(The songs he played) aren’t like the typical songs you hear on the radio,’ Duda said. ‘I was surprised every time he played a song.’
His repertoire ranged from airy pop, heart-thumping techno and downright trance, displaying his dexterity on the discs. The lighting changed with the mood of each song. Snowflakes were projected on the walls during lulls in the intensity, only to be ousted by laser lights when the bass dropped. People in banana and Bigfoot costumes roamed the venue, and white beach balls filled the air, encapsulating the snowball effect that was mirrored in the fervor of the show.
At about the midpoint of Guetta’s set, dancers in fluorescent, robotic costumes similar to the suits worn by characters in the movie ‘Tron’ emerged onstage and spewed smoke in synchronized movements. The words ‘Guetta,’ ‘House’ and ‘Syracuse’ flooded the massive backing screen and the DJ table as the music reached a nearly hypnotic apex.
During the closing reprise of ‘Without You,’ Guetta played a game of call and response with the crowd, blasting a beat and then pausing to allow the audience to answer with cheers. The intimate interaction prefaced an explosive finale that left the Oncenter in an uproar.
‘This was my first time in this city,’ Guetta said after thanking the crowd. ‘I’m glad I came.’
Judging by the reaction of his fans, he wasn’t the only one.
Published on February 5, 2012 at 12:00 pm
