Patience has paid off, and the first phase of the FreakNight 2015 lineup is frightfully fantastic. A blend of Northwest-favorites, some rare treats, and possibly a few tricks as well, the headliners that will be joining us in the Tacoma Dome this Halloween fit right in with the top-notch artists continually making their way to our region. If there was ever a way for USC Events to follow-up a festival that featured Skrillex and Armin van Buuren, it’s with deadmau5 and NERO. Adding Tiësto, Adventure Club, Carnage, Diplo, Nicky Romero, and an entire stage curated by the mythical Pete Tong is like getting Butterfinger after Butterfinger placed in our goody-bag, and it’s only the first neighborhood.
This is just the first phase of artists to be announced for the two-night event, which has us quickly preparing our costumes and travel-plans. Getting an early-start generally makes for a less stressful event, and with how busy we’re all becoming as fall sets in, buying tickets and sorting out hotels should be done as soon as possible. You can get your tickets to FreakNight 2015 online here, and keep up with info on the event via the Facebook event page here. Last year’s lineup was littered with must-see artists, and we’re expecting more of the same this year. If the headliners are any indicator, we won’t be let down.
While we’re waiting for the rest of the FreakNight 2015 lineup to be released, we wanted to get familiar with each of the eight headliners that have been announced. We will be releasing our complete entire genre-by-genre artist guide, but until then, enjoy getting more in-depth with the headliners we’ll be getting freaky with this Halloween.
The headliners have arrived!
[divider]deadmau5[/divider]
It’s the mau5-ment we’ve all been waiting for, and it couldn’t come at a better festival. Enjoying deadmau5 at The Gorge during Paradiso, or at Resolution while ringing in the New Year, sound great. But, getting goosebumps to Ghosts N’ Stuff is as FreakNight as it gets. The tech-house maverick is a dance music figurehead, whose skill is only topped by his bravado, both on-stage and off. Missing out on deadmau5’s long-awaited return, especially at FreakNight, is a mistake every Northwest-raver should try their best to avoid making.
Coupling the FreakNight set, which will take place on day one of the festival on Friday, October 30th, with a Halloween performance at HARD Day Of The Dead in Southern California, deadmau5 is finally giving-in to the Northwest masses who’ve been regularly hoping for his return in recent years. Since his last Seattle-show, deadmau5 has released a couple of albums, including his latest last summer, while (1<2). Fitting-in with his other timeless works, Zimmerman’s seventh studio album was one of the best of 2014.
The 34-year-old Toronto-native, also known as Joel Zimmerman, hasn’t visited the Emerald City for a publicized show since performing at The Paramount alongside Excision in 2011. This summer he came close, performing at FVDED In The Park over Independence Day weekend earlier this summer in Surrey, BC. Now, we’re getting deadmau5 in Tacoma (for real this time). Talk of his rumored appearances and surprise sets are commonplace among Northwest dance music Facebook group discussions, making an actual performance all-the-more enticing.
[divider]Tiësto[/divider]
Making up for his cancelled performance on the second night of FreakNight 2014, 46-year-old Dutchman Tiësto is headlining FreakNight 2015’s Halloween-night festivities. A face and name that many outside of dance music associate with EDM and it’s growth in popularity in recent years, Tiësto is an artist who is a headliner in every sense of the word. He’s performed at festivals around the world and produced tunes with as impressive a ‘who’s who’ list as any artist around.
Consistently ranking among the top in DJ popularity polls, and income-listings making their way throughout the blogosphere, Tiësto isn’t resting on his laurels. He released his latest album, A Town Called Paradise, last year, and has been regularly performing at festivals throughout North America and Europe. Apart from FreakNight 2014, Tiësto last appeared in the Northwest at several festivals, such as Pemberton 2015, Paradiso 2013, and FreakNight 2011.
The polarizing Dutchman has had success producing and DJing several genres throughout his decades-long career, showcasing a longevity and awareness that have put him atop the EDM-industry food chain. Regardless of your opinion on Tiësto, he’s one of the best in the business, and doubting his skill (and missing his set) would be a grave mistake.
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