The bass pumped through the hall, driving the mass of people into a writhing frenzy as Deadmau5 headlined the first concert of Ottawa’s new CE Centre Dec. 27.
Giant mouse ears and smiles dotted the crowd of approximately 4,300, but all eyes were on Joel Zimmerman, better known as the original mouse head-wearing persona Deadmau5.
The Toronto-based music producer, along with three other DJs, created a Disneyland acid trip by combining the club vibe from electronic sets with the nearly sold out venue’s festival-like atmosphere.
DJs Ariyan, Chris Lake and R3hab put the venue to the test with electro-pop sets. However, when it came to Deadmau5, the results were less than satisfactory for some fans.
“The sound quality was good, except when it came time for Deadmau5’s set,” said Carleton biology student Kevin Lum. “There seemed to be a constant hum that detracted from the music.”
Hum or not, the audience’s excitement could be gauged by the huge reactions from the slightest changes in the music. Hands flew up as Deadmau5 layered tracks or switched up the main beat that had been building for five minutes.
While Deadmau5’s fifth and most recent album 4×4=12 was nominated for the best electronica album at the Grammys, it was his older hits that seemed to get the crowd going.
When the tell-tale chords of “Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff” pumped through the air, the crowd cheered. Fans sang along to the familiar chorus of “But I just wanna play it right/ We, we’re gonna get there tonight.” The silhouettes of hands waved wildly in the air as lights flashed across the jumping crowd.
Looping graphic sequences were projected onto three screens behind the turntables to achieve a 3D effect, but they paled in comparison to Deadmau5’s standard light cube. Known for elaborately staged performances, Deadmau5’s lightshow was less of an emphasis this time because it was one of his “unhooked” sets, meaning he wasn’t using his equipment.
Deadmau5’s set was the inaugural event at the CE Centre, located next to the Ottawa International Airport in the south end. With many concerts and conventions slotted for the upcoming months, Lum said it will be interesting to see if the venue continues to draw in acts like Deadmau5.
“I would like to hope that this new CE Centre will open up more opportunities for these kinds of events,” he said.
