Photo Credit: Allen Halas
When all else fails, give them more bass.
That seemed to be the M.O. for DJ and producer Diplo, who brought an ever-constant thump to the Generac Power Stage on Thursday night. The globetrotting DJ has played some of the biggest festivals in the world, and that translated to a considerably large audience flocking his set, only getting bigger as the night went on. While Summerfest has seen varying degrees of success for DJs and electronic acts this year, there was no mistaking that the Mad Decent label head’s set was a hit.
Unlike some of his counterparts in a genre built on flash and excess, Diplo’s set didn’t need the bells and whistles that typically come with a summer festival concert. In fact, there wasn’t much beyond the music in terms of trying to win over the crowd. With a giant screen showing different typography of his name, and your standard issue steam cannons and confetti on cue for every big beat drop, it was pretty much on paper what you would expect from an EDM show. Donning a custom Milwaukee Bucks jersey with Wesley (his stage last name) and an NBA championship hat, Diplo often referred to the crowd as simply “Wisconsin” and congratulated the city on the Bucks’ title. There wasn’t much warmth to it, but again, the music was the focal point, and it hit hard.
Photo Credit: Allen Halas
Curating a roughly 75-minute set of music isn’t an easy task, and Diplo knew how to get the crowd up and partying for the duration of Thursday night. Weaving in Khia’s one-hit wonder “My Neck, My Back” and Cardi B’s “Up” early on had the female contingent of the crowd singing and moving, and also provided a bit of familiarity for the casual EDM fan. Things would get progressively heavier, though, leaning into house hits and body-rattling amounts of bass in his remixes. With less pop and more punch, the crowd never wavered, while Diplo had the calm demeanor of an expert at work behind the decks.
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The final third of the mix leaned back into the pop side of things, incorporating big hits like the Tove Lo-featuring “Win Win” and the Justin Bieber smash “Where Are U Now.” While both are big hits, and got reactions from the Generac Power Stage crowd, they weren’t even necessary, as the party was already in overdrive by that point. There was also a brief tribute to Swedish DJ Avicii, just a day after the anniversary of his death, by playing his hit “Levels.” The trio of big tracks finished out the night, sending the crowd dancing to the exits.
While there may not have been a lot of extra production, Diplo provided an economically sound festival set. The right music at a high enough volume can move a crowd of thousands effortlessly, and that was once-again proved on Thursday night.
