Exron’s Picks For Best North American Sets of 2021 – [Read]

2021 – a year of polarity, of both renaissance and repercussion in Covid’s wake. After the monstrosity that was its predecessor, this year has been a blessing, a breath of fresh air, and a budding of hope. Industry professionals fearlessly lobbied for live shows to recommence and then put in the necessary extra work to preemptively fight the spread of illness and keep patrons and performers safe. For all those that participated in, petitioned for, produced, and/or attended live music events… brava, bravo! It was a year replete with explorative and novel music, and an overwhelming energy of gratitude and love.

Although every live event curated this kind of ineffable, insurmountable energy, some sets and artists exhibited the extraordinary. Without further ado, these are Exron’s top five picks for the best live sets of 2021:

Number Five: Zhu at iii Points

For an artist that usually headlines festivals such as EDC and Ultra, this venue was unusually small for Zhu… yet it was absolutely perfect. Deep in Miami’s art district, in a graffitied abandoned warehouse, Zhu played to an intimate and zealous crowd of techno aficionados. He paced the stage in a black trench coat, hopping atop his playground of speakers to connect with his audience and sing live. For those in attendance, the venue and aesthetic were reminiscent of Berlin’s techno scene or even London’s affinity for grime. Although it took place in the States, it was so off-the-wall, artistic, and grunge that the entire experience became something akin to an underground European rave.

Number Four: Tiësto at EDC Las Vegas

This year at EDCLV, Tiësto celebrated his tenth consecutive year headlining for one of the most trafficked, lucrative, and well-produced EDM festivals of all time. In true GOAT fashion, Tiësto is also the only person to have ever achieved this milestone. His set, in his usual fashion, was extremely clubby and poppy. What set Tiësto apart from his peers was his keen ability to mix and get funky on the fly. His transitions flowed effortlessly and his ease on stage spoke volumes to his talent and tenacity in this industry. And of course, Tiësto’s roster of smash hit records played throughout his whole set, reminding us of his immortalized prolificacy and decades of domination. Tiësto was (and is) club EDM done right – period.

Number Three: Afterlife at Brooklyn Mirage

Afterlife and Tale of Us are doing some seriously eye-catching work with their live events. All their shows feature intense, abstract visuals and an upside-down floating man. The visuals at the Brooklyn Mirage were 3D, ostensibly consuming the levitating man, incorporating him into the mystic scene. The ethereal, immersive experience was unlike anything else in the industry, and Brooklyn’s beloved backyard portal became a testament to the promise of this infamous imprint and its event.

Number Two: Excision at Lost Lands (Throwback Set)

The post-Covid resurrection of Lost Lands’ Jurassic park playground was no doubt a favorite festival for all those that attended. And the award for best performance of the weekend went to Excision’s Throwback Set, which featured all his OG bass and the classic dubstep loyal fans revered. The reptilian theme of the festival came to life with monolithic visuals of fearsome beasts romping and stomping toward patrons, perfectly in sync with the bass. Fireworks burst above the valley like shooting stars and it was the perfect cocktail of violence and carnage, but also catharsis.

Number One: Tipper at Red Rocks (Second Night)

For his first set back at Red Rocks since 2015, Tipper pulled up. His two-day extravaganza at the legendary venue was an autocratic, inexorable mind melt. Day one was typical Tipper, meaning soft ambiance and mind massaging abstractions – but during day two, he took his earthlings to outer space and back. The set was dubstep, hard enough to have gone to prison, and the visuals were catatonic. Watching the mind trickery and optical illusions was like witnessing the universe go through mitosis – transfixing, transporting, and transcending. You didn’t hear it from us, but Tipper has been to the matrix. All of us plebeians are simply lucky to experience the ride through his eyes, second hand, but exhilarating and deeply moving nonetheless.

Featured photo – Afterlife at The Brooklyn Mirage, Photo by: Off Brand Project