Dubstep DJ Rusko returned to the Mullins Center Saturday for an epic sold out concert event that had the entire crowd cheering for more. Project Drop, an electronic dance music company based in Amherst, brought the show to the Mullins Center and succeeded in showing concert-goers a good time.
Much of the crowd had been “celebrating” 4/20, a holiday in recognition of marijuana. Before the show, Rusko tweeted “Spending most of 420 in airports better believe when I finally get to UMass I’m gonna smoke 420 bowls,” and it appeared that the audience was following his lead, as there was a constant lingering cloud of smoke over the crowd’s heads.
AraabMuzik kicked off the festivities and the Providence, R.I., native had everyone dancing to the intricate beats from his MPC drum machine. Playing the sampler live, his sound was a mix of hip-hop and electronic that got the audience moving.
Alvin Risk was the second performer of the night. His high-energy, fast paced beats kept spirits high. Conspirator was the third opener and had the crowd dancing like crazy. The sound was an interesting mix of a traditional four-piece band setup augmented by EDM elements. When the members of the group asked the audience if they were ready for Rusko to make his appearance, the audience went wild.
And after much anticipation, including a 20-second countdown on the projection screen, Rusko arrived on stage. iPhone screens filled the arena as audience members tried to take photos and video of the dubstep star.
Dropping unreleased tracks as well his biggest crowd-pleasing hits, Rusko delivered a fantastic performance. Playing fan favorites such as “Hold On” and “Woo Boost,” he kept the audience enraptured At one point during the night he played a remix of DMX’s “Up In Here,” taking many in the audience by surprise.Bbut, nonetheless, the crowd’s energy surged when it came on.
Not only was Rusko’s music noteworthy but his presence on stage was as well. His high energy kept the audience engaged and excited the whole time. Rusko’s energy was so high, as he jumped around and constantly yelled “UMass!” that at points it seemed as if he was more excited than many in the crowd.
A highlight of the night was the tribute to Boston during the concert. Over the past week, the phrase “Boston Strong” has been used as a theme to promote unity after two explosions rocked the Boston Marathon finish line last Monday. So when the words “Boston Strong” were displayed on the large projection screen behind the DJ booth, the crowd roared with applause.
Rusko was on stage for around an hour and a half before the show ended abruptly around midnight. Many were surprised that the show finished when it did. “Wait, is it over?” and “Was that the end?” could be heard from the crowd. Shouts of “Encore, encore!” began but to no avail. It was indeed over. Nothing but praise and excitement could be heard from the crowd after the show, however.
Not only did the audience have a good time at the show, after the concert Rusko tweeted, “Woo-mass u guys were seriously boosted tonight so cool!!”
Kayla Marchetti can be reached at [email protected].
