I’ve got a new “go green” campaign, it works like this: We, as a society, buy Rusko a gorgeous sound system in a venue of his choosing. We then hook up all sorts of science-y energy storing devices to different parts of Rusko’s body, made to retain the energy he gives off during his set. The results will no doubt ably power the United States for no less than a decade (and that totally includes all those rich people who don’t worry about turning off their lights).
Rusko’s show at Minglewood Hall is without a doubt one of the most hype things I’ve ever seen. He’s touring ‘round this side of the Mississippi in preparation for his newest full-length titled Songs (hitting stores on March 27th) and had more than a few of those to drop. I got ready to get down in the dirt and went with high hopes to hear plenty of low bass.
B Thornburg and Marceaux Marceaux (representing Voodoo Village) opened the night with the perfect launch to the evening’s out-of-this-world show. They played quite a bit of the familiar ElectroCity fare but weren’t afraid to cross a few lines. Their set was well structured and had the robust crowd bouncing throughout their performance. The evening got especially hype when they ran through a track prompting “go tigers” (for all you University of Memphis fans) and when Marceaux Marceaux dropped his recent release “Spurrr.”
Then it was Rusko’s turn to wreck the decks. And well, he killed it. He for sure was playing on God Mode, evident by his infinite energy and good vibes. If that kid is good at anything, it’s dubstep and smiling. To see him exercise both simultaneously is as infectious as Micheal Scott references in 2005—you can’t help but want to be involved.
His set held no complete allegiance to any certain genre (er, dubstep) and although it did lean to the heavier, slower side of the “dance” genre, his setlist also ricocheted off of everything from drum and bass to nu-techno. Arrangement-wise, he didn’t leave much space—although his sound differs on a sub-genre level, akin to Bassnector or Skrillex, his set didn’t have much space and was mostly energetic pulses that stacked one behind the other and hurtled past the audience in a similar fashion to the way a large freight train passes. A drop would occur and loop through its damage; as the tracks’ heavy section would come to a close, he would immediately throw out another drop rather than waiting to make a build.
That isn’t to say the evening didn’t carry crescendos—Rusko had a few epic builds that usually would lead into his own tracks. (I’m looking at you “Woo Boost.”) This technique was used in reserve, however, seemingly to promote an endless pummeling of bass, wobble, and massive walls of sound mostly defined by their low-end.
The night was a blasty-blast and seriously one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Rusko is a perfect example of what being a DJ really means—he loves his audience as much as he loves his music, giving off the most genuine vibes towards anyone who enjoys dancing their tush off. He’ll be touring the Northeast and West Coast throughout spring and the first half of summer so find the show nearest you and go get crunk!
