deadmau5 at Pier 17
deadmau5 at Pier 17
September 8, 2018
On a rainy Saturday evening in lower Manhattan, deadmau5 played the newly launched rooftop space of Pier 17 to a sold out crowd. Clad in ponchos that were given out by the venue to replace the umbrellas that were confiscated at the door, the predominantly millennial audience crowded in, impervious to the steady drizzle to dance and move to some new material and more from the electronic music icon.
deadmau5, otherwise known in his human form as Joel Zimmerman, is one of the world's most renowned and recognized electronic music live performers and producers. His social media following tops out at a whopping 15 million across all platforms, he is a multiple JUNO Award winner and GRAMMY nominated artist who worked with Rob Swire nearly a decade ago on "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" which became a seminal track in electronic music that ultimately reached platinum status. His new release mau5ville: level 1 reunites deadmau5 and Swire for a new single "Monophobia." mau5ville: level 1 is the first of several levels of new and unreleased original material and remixes to come in the next few months. It contains remixes of "Monophobia" by GRAMMY award-winning remixer Latroit and from his own mau5trap label, ATTLAS and Rinzen. Fans were looking forward to hearing the new material with a number of people shouting from the crowd "Monophobia" as the set started. They were not disappointed.
Adding to the excitement was the venue of choice. The newly revamped Pier 17, which used to be the South Street Seaport, has undergone a transformation from it's original hub of commercial virtue and the first 24-hour district in New York (making it the "city that never sleeps") to a sparkling gem of an entertainment mecca. The area became a tourist mecca with a huge mall for decades, then reeled from the shock of Superstorm Sandy. But now the top of the expansive one and a half acre rooftop called Pier 17, which opened in late July, sports amazing views that could stun even the most unfazed New Yorker. Just a glance around reveals Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center as well as all three of the East River bridges and the Empire State Building, plus lots of water.
Sans his trademark mouse head, which he ditched a scant few times during the evening, the Canadian deadmau5 addressed the crowd by saying," Was it not 30 degrees (Celsius= 86 degrees Fahrenheit) two days ago?" referring to the chilly, damp evening following another few days of sweltering Summer heat. "Never been more afraid of heights til today," he quipped, referring to the amazing yet steep height of the roof as well as his perch atop the stage monitors.
Getting right down to business and eliminating the chatter, deadmau5 continued in his one speaking interaction to the crowd, "Thank you for guys for having me, New York! This is the only time I use the mic. So put your fucking hands up, 1-2-3 jump and all that. All right, I'm done. Thank you guys so much. Enjoy the rest," he finished, holding up his hands in a heart shape over his head and plowing straight into the beats.
All that could be seen from the crowd below was his black Misfits t-shirt and huge mouse head, the video monitors below pulsed with a fantastically choreographed light show that shone through even the heaviest of downpours, which thankfully lightened up at times to almost nothing. Fans grooved through the raindrops to "My Pet Coelacanth," "Raise Your Weapon," "Avarita," and "Some Chords (Dillon Francis Remix)." Wishing the night would never end, fans were overheard shouting that it was the best night of their lives and screaming for more as the set came to a close. With this sort of enthusiasm, it's no wonder that deadmau5' popularity continues to grow by leaps and bounds.
Photo Credit by Christine Connallon
