Chris Taylor
Bone-Crushing
“225,000 watts of bone-crushing sound.” It’s a statement that sounds like exaggeration and hyperbole. What does that even mean? It was on every poster promoting this event. Well after 3+ hours hanging around the Armory from nearly every angle, I understood what that meant. No matter where you stood, whether it was center of GA, the stairs by the entrance or up in VIP, you felt every single drop, beat and wub that Excision had up his sleeve. It was the closest you were going to get to an earthquake in Minnesota. And, even better, every single person in the crowd was eating it up from start to finish.
Headbangers
Headbanger is the moniker for an Excision fan. By the name alone, one could probably guess what it was like to be posted up in the center of GA, where I spent the majority of the night. I was a good 100 people back from the front, but there was still the headbanging that I usually only see by the rail of a concert. It was the passion I see at a metal concert mixed with the hard beats of an EDM show. The closest I ever got to something this intense was during Bassnectar at Electric Forest, and I was beyond the rail for that one. On top of all this, a mosh pit opened up where I was standing. Scary to begin with, but with a couple thousand dollars of camera gear in my hand, I nope-d out of there quickly.
Frickin Laser Beams
The headbanging was cool, but can we talk lights for a minute? On top of this show being a very visceral and physical experience, the visuals were second to none. I have never seen so many lasers in my life, and on top of that, there was a distinct use of color that is often lacking in other EDM shows. The lasers were dispatched in bright solids or cascades of color from the entire visual spectrum. In addition to that, the video screen was one of the biggest I have ever seen, and what was on it was supremely entertaining. It featured robots with katanas, boss battles with octopi and electrocuted zombies. All of this together made for one of the most complete audio/visual experiences I’ve seen in a long time. This production was a fully thought out production from start to finish – a spectacular show that was reminiscent of something you would see in a football size stadium.
Put Down The Phone Friends
All in all, I had a blast. It was oohs and ahhs from start to finish. I only had one small complaint, and I feel that complaint comes with every stunning audio/visual spectacle: smartphones. As you see with every photo taken there are a litany of cellphones. Now, don’t get me wrong, I take the occasional video on my cellphone during crazy moments, but there were multiple people through that night that viewed 75 percent of the show through their screens. Please, for the sake of yourself and everyone around you, put your phone down, enjoy the music and headbang with the rest of the fans. You paid good money for that ticket. I got you, friends. I’ll take one for the team and view the show through a screen. It’s what I’m there for, after all.
Must-See EDM
If you weren’t at this show, you simply missed out. It was one for the books at The Armory, and if you happen to be reading this and Excision hasn’t made his stop in your town: GO. Simply get your tickets and go. If you even slightly like dubstep, this show will absolutely blow you out of the water. I’ve seen a lot in the past year in the realm of EDM, and this was one of my favorite shows yet.
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