Hardwell proved to be easy to love during an out-of-this-world performance at the F-Shed at the Market.

All of the usual characters — young, neon-toting ravesters — filled the F-Shed in Syracuse on Tuesday night for a sold out concert headlined by the electronic dance music icon.

The show — the sixth outing on the Dutch disc jockey’s Revealed North American Bus Tour — featured opening acts Dyro and Dannic and attracted a crowd that filled the venue to its maximum capacity.

Despite being ranked the No. 1 DJ in the world last year by DJ Magazine, Hardwell said he cherishes the opportunity to play for smaller, more intimate audiences at venues like the F-Shed.

“If you want to be a successful DJ, you have to perform for both huge crowds and smaller crowds, like tonight,” Hardwell said. “This is where I connect most with my fans and it’s more intimate to play shows at smaller venues.”

Hardwell’s popularity is hard to deny. His performance from Ultra Music Festival 2013 has garnered more than 20 million views on YouTube, and last month, he was given the honor of closing out the Miami-based music festival with a much buzzed-about performance.

The energy at the F-Shed was elevated from the very start of the show, and opener Dyro succeeded in amping up the crowd with his hard-hitting synths and bass drops. Concertgoers packed the floor and danced enthusiastically to the DJ’s distinctive sound. After a set without a dull moment, Dyro bid farewell to the crowd.

Hardwell, the show’s headliner, has built a massive following in the past few years, and his ability to adapt to the crowd and play to his audience during live performances has garnered praise from critics and fans alike.

“I really think that Hardwell knows how to read the crowd when he plays his sets,” said Syracuse native Makeda McGowan. “You can tell he doesn’t just plug in a set and let it play.”

During an interview before his set, Hardwell admitted that he never plays the same setlist twice. He said that his focus is on providing a unique experience for the crowd at every show, and that often times he bases his music selection on the energy of the crowd.

Right from the start of his set, it was clear that the audience connected with Hardwell’s artistic vision. Anticipation built slowly but surely with his familiar electronic offerings, and Hardwell was able to keep the crowd’s attention without sticking to a predictable setlist for the night’s performance.

The pulsing lasers and fog machines onstage added to Hardwell’s infectious energy, and fans proudly donned their glowsticks as they matched the rhythm of the subwoofers and synthesizers.

Emily Latainer, a senior writing and rhetoric major, said there were a number of elements to Hardwell’s performance that made it so enjoyable.

“I had a really, really great time,” she said. “The music, the lights and just the overall vibe at the F-Shed made this show really amazing.”

Part of what makes Hardwell such a captivating artist in the electronic music industry is his ability to abandon the status quo of the typical rave performance; The 25-year-old DJ said that he prefers to take risks with his sets and explained that being unconventional has actually helped connect him to a bigger audience.

“I always take risks when I perform, and I think that’s why some of my sets at big festivals like Ultra have been so popular,” Hardwell said. “I played about 70 percent new material last year at Ultra, and it surprised a lot of people.”

Though the attendance at the F-Shed paled in comparison to the more than 200,000 people at this year’s Ultra Music Festival, Hardwell delivered an impressive performance that felt catered specifically to the Syracuse crowd.

Proving that an inflated ego doesn’t always have to accompany great success and fame, Hardwell stayed true to his vision for delivering a personal performance at every show he plays. The ecstatic audience at the F-Shed did not take the set for granted.

Published on April 16, 2014 at 2:30 am

Contact Tom: tsharkey@syr.edu