Tiesto
***
Concert DVD "A Tiesto You'll Want to Take" (Blackhole Recordings) Electronica
Just when you thought the age of electronic music was through, Black Hole Recordings releases "DJ Tiesto In Concert." Finally, a DVD that allows the viewer to relive the ecstasy-fueled, go-go raves of the late '90s! At 95 minutes, this DVD, shot using over two dozen cameras, documents one of Tiesto's stadium performances in front of 25,000 people. At first, the thought of how entertaining a DJ could be in front of such a large crowd for such a long period of time comes to mind, but Tiesto and his touring company are a pleasant surprise.
The show is broken up into continents: Africa, North America, Asia, South America and Europe. For each continent, a legitimate musical act comes out on stage and performs. During the Asia segment, kabuki dancers twirl and spin in front of woodblock prints. For South America, a Brazilian rap group performs capoeira. These acts serve as a nice transition between Tiesto's thumping beats. When the lesser groups have finished their sets, Tiesto re-emerges to spin again, only sampling artists from the current continent. Unfortunately, even for a fan of Tiesto's work, it can sometimes be hard to discern a difference between the North American drum-n-bass and the African trip-hop. As with all electronic music, Tiesto starts with a simple bass line, adds more and more complexity and layers, and then breaks it all down to start again.
What makes Tiesto the highest-paid and best-known DJ in the world is his ability to keep spinning for massive amounts of time while keeping the audience excited. The visual effects are impressive, but Tiesto's stamina and his skill in picking solid track after solid track are what make this DVD fun to listen to. It is difficult to watch Tiesto standing in place and picking record after record; without being packed into the venue with the rest of the crowd, there is a sense of disconnectedness. If you buy this DVD looking for a giant stage show a la *NSYNC, you will be disappointed. But if you buy this DVD expecting to find some great techno, you'll get your money's worth.
