Tim Bergling, commonly known as Avicii, the blond DJ from Sweden with the piercing blue eyes and artist who remixed Etta James to create the song “Good Feeling,” appears to be the new pick in popular music.
Avicii has been featured on tracks by famous artists like Flo Rida, Leona Lewis and David Guetta. Avicii was originally scheduled to appear at the Mullins Center on January 31, but the show was postponed due to his health. According to the DJ’s Facebook page, he was experiencing stomach pain and had to take a brief hiatus from his tour.
Now that he’s back on track, Avicii will hit the University of Massachusetts tonight at 7:30 p.m. to perform a highly anticipated show.
Those less familiar with Avicii can head over to his personal website, which contains previews of his remixes as well as original tracks. His music is placed under the genre of “house,” which is described by Urban Dictionary as being “heavily electronic, with a repetitive 4/4 beat (four-to-the-floor) and a lot of synth and bass.” Though generally less popular in electronic music communities today, house’s influence of 1970s disco makes for some fun dancing.
Tonight’s concert will focus mainly on the excitement of the audience, as watching a DJ stand up on a stage and scratch records is not entertaining in itself. This performance will be an excuse to dance like crazy on a Thursday night.
Hailing from Stockholm, young Bergling began mixing house music in his bedroom. Not long after, his popularity went viral and his fame grew even more after gaining support from Tiësto, who also performed at the Mullins Center in September of last year and is popular worldwide.
Avicii released his first single in 2008 titled “Manman,” and he found instant and international recognition. In 2010, “Bromance” made its way to the top of the charts. Since then, other tracks such as “My Feelings for You” and “Street Dancer” have been featured on radio waves as well as gained popularity on YouTube.
The recent boom of DJs into mainstream radio and concert arenas has helped pave the way for Avicii. In this age, DJs are no longer confined to clubs and weddings but can gain as much recognition as any other musician and fans are thrilled to pay for seeing them in action.
Avicii has yet to produce a full-length album, but his monthly podcasts and XM Radio show have captured fans’ interest. Though his claim to fame is his original work, Avicii’s remixes of popular songs have brought him further into the spotlight, especially with his sampling of Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” for his popular track “Levels.” His music has also been remixed by big names in electronic music such as Skrillex and Afrojack. Avicii was nominated for the Grammy Award of Best Dance Recording in February for his song “Sunshine” with David Guetta.
Midnite Society, NV Concepts, and MASS Electronic Dance Music Community (MASS EDMC) are in charge of organizing tonight’s show. NV Concepts and MASS EDMC have both been previously and currently influential in bringing electronic music to the Amherst area. MASS EDMC was founded by two UMass students and continues to further introduce this genre to the greater New England area.
Avicii’s “House for Hunger Tour” is donating $1 million of the gig fees to Feeding America. Both Avicii and At Night Management’s Ash Pournouri have been working together to enlighten fans on the problem of hunger in the United States today. They also hope to combat the bad rap that the electronic music scene has acquired from its many drug-using fans. The two would like to show that the genre is not limited to listening while under the influence by illustrating the idea the real purpose of music is bringing people together and inspiring them.
Tickets can still be purchased through the Mullins Center Box Office as well as via Ticketmaster. Any tickets purchased for the January show will be honored at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Acacia DiCiaccio can be reached at [email protected]. Katie-Rose De Candia can be reached at [email protected].
