I’ve seen countless artists over the last few years when you take into account festivals, club shows, and live showcases. The interesting thing is each setting provides something a little bit different. I learned that a few weeks ago when I witnessed Steve Angello drop an underground set at Story, just weeks after watching him play Ultra Music Festival with his uplifting progressive style. Long story short: you haven’t truly seen an artist until you’ve seen them on multiple stages, in various settings. Enter Laidback Luke, an artist who I had only seen at festivals in the past… until not long ago when he took on Miami Beach’s luxurious standout nightclub venue, LIV.
However, before LL could take on the stages the finest resident DJ I’ve ever had the pleasuring of witnessing started off the evenings festivities. There’s never a doubt in my mind once Mednas takes the stage that things are going to heat up. He can read a crowd, play off the vibes, and drop steady beats alongside big heavy hitters when the time is just right. None do it like Mednas, so it’s always a treat to get to a LIV show just a bit early to see him take on the decks!
Then once the clock hit 1:30 AM Laidback Luke emerged, palms facing inward, pointer fingers up and thumbs out – the LL hand motions were in full effect (as seen below).
He started off the night with a little Star Wars “Imperial March” gone electro, which really got the crowd off their heals from the onset. Hearing the classic instrumental over a heavier bassline gave me the goosebumps and it wasn’t even 2 AM yet… and for those not already pumped on adrenaline after hearing the Darth Vader theme, could sing along to tunes such as Bastille’s “Pompeii,” and Robin S’ classic, “Show Me Love,” edited by himself and Steve Angello. Not long after, LL played out another classic, “Zombie Nation,” giving it just the twist it needed to propel the club to a whole other level.
Laidback Luke continued on through the night with a healthy dosage of tracks, including some future house tunes from Oliver Heldens, and his very own original with Gina Turner, “Bae,” putting an emphasis on maybe the go-to word of 2015 for youth nowadays. He kept things deep with Crookers’ remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘n Night,” that hit real low on the drop with those scratchy basslines and poppy notes that resonated with the hip-hop crowd and house fans alike. He then dropped Guetta’s “Ain’t a Party,” that asks the simple question… what’s a party without Laidback Luke?
LL continued partying the night away with the Miami Beach crowd playing out fan-favorites such as Major Lazer’s “Watch Out for This (Bumaye)” and that melody we all know and love from Alvaro & Mercer’s “Welcome to the Jungle Bitch.” When Lil Jon’s verse came on, things just went wild. We knew this wasn’t the last we’ hear from everyone’s favorite MC… more on that later. 
Two other crowd-pleasers were The Wknd’s “Often,” and Galantis’ smash hit “Runaway (U & I)” which both brought different yet energetic tones sweeping throughout venue. Lil Jon’s monstrous bellows returned on Laidback Luke’s infamous collab with Steve Aoki, “Turbulence.” LIV was the flight for the evening, and Laidback Luke was the pilot. Corny metaphors aside… LL led this flight on a bumpy ride of musical bliss.
Finishing the evening off as strong as he began with tracks such as Showtek and David Guetta’s “Bad” mashed into his own original steamer, “Flashing Lights,” with D.O.D. The night’s festivities came to a close on two of my favorites from the evening, Hardwell’s standalone classic, “Spaceman,” and Swedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child.” With a solid mix of deep, uplifting, heavy and even hip-hop vibes, the night had the right recipe of sugar and spice leaving the crowd more than satisfied!
Pictured above is Mednas (left) with Laidback Luke (right)
*Thanks as always to Jona Araujo for making it possible for us to come out to these shows and review them for you all.
**Photo credit to World RedEye Photography. Visit the entire Laidback Luke album here.
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