On the opening day of Ottawa Bluesfest 2015, I caught the last two acts of the Full Flex Express Tour on the Bell Stage.
The first thing I noticed when I got in was that I was going to have a hard time making it to the stage. It seemed as though every Ottawa citizen below the age of 25 was in attendance. But hey, Ottawa is a big city and Bluesfest is an insanely popular festival. There can be no claims made against the popularity of EDM.
After slithering my way through the waves and waves of excited fans, I found myself metres away from the stage just as Zeds Dead kickstarted their set. The set itself started off extremely promising. Loud, drop-heavy tracks kept the crowd jumping and screaming with visuals that could only be described as “interesting” (at one point, the screen was cutting between scenes from the climax of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job!).
The crowd was really into it at first—although midway through the set it seemed to quiet down a lot, with people shrinking into themselves rather than partying along with the passionate DJs of Zeds Dead. Still, as far as EDM shows go, the best way to describe Zeds Dead’s 2015 Bluesfest performance is “adequate.” It was an energetic, but decidedly safe performance.
As the sun went down and the crowd began to thicken and get more rowdy, it became apparent to me that the main highlight for most people on this Full Flex night in Ottawa was the appearance of Brostep/EDM megastar Skrillex and his newfound Jack Ü partner Diplo.
Before the duo even showed up on stage, people were pushing and starting fights, all in pursuit of the legendary bass drop. As I made my way even closer, the duo finally stormed on stage, waving stylized Jack Ü flags accompanied by Kiesza, opening with the single “Take U There.” At least I think that’s what song they played—by this point the party had really started and it was impossible for me to truly distinguish what sounds were what amidst the heavy tracks and ecstatic crowd.
As far as EDM shows go, Jack Ü probably tops my list of most fun shows, and I had never heard any of their songs before. The crowd was jumping and screaming nonstop for the entire performance. At one point, a girl behind me asked to go on my shoulders and I happily obliged, although only for about 20 minutes. Even if you don’t like Skrillex and Diplo but have a passing curiosity in the massively popular EDM scene, you will definitely have a good time at a Jack Ü show, as long as you let yourself.
The visuals were lame, to be honest, with rage comic faces circa 2012 showing up over 1980s glamrock videos and Napoleon Dynamite dancing. But the show was a blast—I’ll be sore for a few days now. If loud, messy electronic music and rowdy crowds aren’t your thing, this wouldn’t be the place for you. But for those who know what they’re getting themselves into, the Full Flex performance at Bluesfest this year was the place to be.
