Tiesto Goes Out With A BANG @ LIV During 4th Of July Celebration

The echos of “TIESTO, TIESTO, TIESTO” were deafening at LIV Nightclub the evening of Independence day. Staff decked out the club with countless flags and elegant red, white, and blue decorations dangling from the rafters. There was no visible hangover from MMG visionary, Dave Grutman, who celebrated a birthday for the ages with Erick Morillo at Story the prior night. Resident DJ, Mednas, warmed things up with a blend of deeper house that slowly started creeping up in BPM’s to get the dance floor moving.

Tiesto has been gearing up for a huge tour following his appearance at LIV that will have the Dutchman in Belgium, Canada, France, Hungary, and the UK. Just weeks before, Tiesto played one of the best sets at EDC Las Vegas. An increase in shows coincides with the surprise release of Club Life Vol 4: New York City. The compilation album showcased some of Tiesto’s best work in recent memory with festival sensations, “The Only Way Is Down,” “Secrets,” and his edit of “Fighting For.” It wouldn’t be a Tiesto album without help from several of his proteges, Dzeko & Torres, Martin Garrix, MOTI, and KSHMR.

Tiesto opened with his new track “The Only Way Is Up” that segued into a trap rework of 3LAU’s “How You Love Me.” Everything from new and old Tiesto to sing-alongs and unreleased tracks were on display during his two and a half hour set. Tiesto favorites, “All of Me,” “Red Lights,” “Maximal Crazy,” and “Wasted” were intermittently spread out through the night.” As expected from a true veteran like Tiesto, the vocal selection was immaculate. Remixes of “Better Off Alone,” “Mr. Brightside,” “Outside,” “Truffle Butter,” “Pompeii,” “Heads Will Roll,” “Numb,” “Wonderwall” and “Let You Go” transformed many party-goers into one succinct voice. Staying current with big hits, Tiesto dropped a few radio hits like Major Lazer & DJ Snake’s “Lean On,” “Where Are U Now,” and a couple tracks from Galantis.

I particularly enjoyed hearing a few select tracks. For one… no song is hotter in America right now than the Weeknd‘s latest release, “Can’t Feel My Face.” Since debuting it at the Apple Music conference, everyone’s been buzzing over the Michael Jackson (yeah I said it) – like vocals. To hear Tiesto throw down a beat behind it was a real treat, not to mention set the tone for the evening. Tiesto wouldn’t conform to any one genre, he floated around with many different sounds to keep things interesting. I also really enjoyed hearing his take on the Lost Frequencies folk-hit “Are You With Me,” that has shined in electronic dance music already thanks to Dash Berlin‘s standout remix. Nonetheless, Tiesto gave it a different flare!

In addition to those great tracks, Tiesto also tossed in a ton of heavy hitters such as “Tremor,” behind the Steve Aoki “Ladi Dadi” vocal, along with the brilliantly aggressive collaboration with up-and-comer DallasK, “Show Me.” If you haven’t heard that one, take the time to check it out – it’s literally made for the clubs.

The music was phenomenal all night but Tiesto also showed that he’s a stand up guy on several occasions during his set. It’s no shock that DJ’s often get heckled by fans always wanting a high-five or whatever it may be. Tiesto took the time to sign a fan’s Netherlands Soccer jersey and inked a pair of his AKG headphones before handing them out to a lucky fan mid-set. Tiesto has done so much for dance music, it’s great to see he can still throw down and give back at the same time.

It’s amazing to see the kind of composure and stage presence he has developed over the years. For any aspiring DJ, make sure to get out to one of his performances and take note of how he reads a crowd, and plays off of their vibe. It was a pleasure to witness.