[numblock num=”8.5″ style=”3″]Headhunterz graced us with his presence for a first time performance in Portland that undoubtedly was an incredible night of melodic hardstyle, fist pumping, and pure, raw, energy. [/numblock]
The crowd may have been small, but mighty. This was a first for the Roseland in recent months as the general crowd seemed sparse in comparison to many of the larger crowds we’ve seen in the past. The overall vibe however was insane. We could feel the energy the instant we walked in and it didn’t stop all night.
Local opener Tourmaline showed off her funky house beats as patrons started entering the building and filling the main floor. There was definitely a great array of people there already; not your typical crowd you would see at the Roseland, so we knew we were in for something special. Within the hour Pyrotense came to the stage kicking up some heavy hardstyle beats that got everyone on their feet and dancing. The enthusiasm and love for the music truly showed. Pyrotense were constantly jumping around the stage throughout their set, arms in the air as they got the crowd pumped for what was certain to be a memorable evening.
Pyrotense showing off their energetic hardstyle sound
As a bit of a switch up, it had been noted via the Facebook event page day of the show that Headhunterz requested a non-hardstyle set go on before him to give the night some variety. Lo and behold beloved Portlander Alex Lightspeed. Alex is known for his elecro mashups and unique, crowd-pleasing beats. The highlight of his set was bringing back an oldie, but a goodie in the form of remix of Darude’s Sandstorm that set everyone cheering and screaming. Nothing but smiles abounded, as everyone threw their hands in the air in remembrance of the classic tune.
Alex Lightspeed pumping up the crowd
As the night continued on, we could feel the excitement build as it drew near to 10:30 when the main event was set to take stage. Suddenly, it was like being booted into another dimension. The pace of music changed rapidly and the roar from the crowd was insane the moment Willem Rebergen, better known by his stage name Headhunterz, set foot behind the decks. A DJ Mag top 100 mainstay for a reason, he didn’t disappoint from start to finish.
It was an hour-and-a-half of sheer heart-pumping, raging hardstyle music and we just couldn’t get enough of it. The high point of the set came when Headhunterz’ hit track Colors came blasting through the speakers. Everyone sang along, as the whole room joined together in euphoria. As the night was drawing to a close, Headhunterz amazed us with one last tune and took to the crowd posing for pictures. We love it when artists take the time to appreciate their fans just as much as we appreciate their music! For a first-time appearance in Portland it set the record for what we hope will be a soon, and triumphant return.
Headhunterz saying hello to the fans
[symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”20px” margin_bottom=”20px”]The Breakdown:
[symple_skillbar title=”Music” percentage=”80″ color=”#272727″]
[symple_skillbar title=”Crowd” percentage=”85″ color=”#272727″]
[symple_skillbar title=”Energy” percentage=”90″ color=”#272727″]
[symple_skillbar title=”Production” percentage=”80″ color=”#272727″]
[symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”50px” margin_bottom=”20px”]
https://soundcloud.com/pyrotense/pyrotense-february-2014-mix
https://soundcloud.com/headhunterz/zedd-spectrum-headhunterz-edit
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
