Reading music:

 
Last weekend, Steve Aoki and crew invaded Chicago’s UIC Pavilion on their cross country Aokify America Tour. Featuring sounds from the Dim Mak label and beyond, the Aokify tour features some of the hottest stars in EDM and hip-hop, touting names like Pharrell, Borgore and Waka Flocka Flame.

You have to give it to Aoki – he has the uncanny ability to act as a sonic blender, bringing together musical tastes from all over and pouring it out under one roof. And in case you didn’t catch it above, he is headlining a tour over the man responsible for two of the biggest hits of this year. But Aoki has an insatiable work ethic and deserves his time in the spotlight. Besides, if you’ve ever seen him perform live then you know that shit gets crazy when that spotlight turns on.
 

See our full photo album here.
 
Toronto based AutoErotique and household hip-hop name Waka Flocka Flame began the night, priming the audience for what was to be a rowdy evening. Tel Aviv native Borgore (who we also caught at TomorrowWorld) followed with a massive set that sent the dance floor into a chaotic, spasming heap of body party and perspiration as he blasted through his bass heavy sounds. Waka Flocka even made a re-appearance during Borgore’s set as they premiered their new track together, titled “Wild Out.”

Then it was time for Pharrell to take the stage and I swear I could see the ladies excusing themselves to freshen up in the bathroom. Dude’s got some swag. And while his set might be sans driving bass lines and heavy drops, Pharrell kept the energy levels high. No surprises here, Pharrell ended his set with “Blurred Lines” and a rendition of “Get Lucky” to the explosive approval of the crowd.
 

See our full photo album here.
 
Finally it was time for Aoki to take the stage. The silky-haired EDM legend blasted through crowd favorites that stretched back to “Warp 1.9” and also included “Turbulence” and “Boneless.” And what would any Steve Aoki show be if there wasn’t some cake in your face and white raver rafting? At least six lucky fans got to go home with a frosted face courtesy of the Dim Mak owner while a handful of others got the raver rafting experience of their lives.

The only drawback to the night was the early set times. With doors opening at 6:30pm, some hardly had a chance to get off work before making their way to the venue – a challenge which left the pavilion a bit sparse during the opening sets. However, that didn’t stop the late comers from settling right into the massive electro-house sounds emanating from the stage and by the end of the night, everyone was jumping up and down wanting more.

The Aokify America Tour runs through the end of November, so head here to see if the crazies will be in your town soon.

96

Add to the story...