Paul Van Dyk live in Central Park (review)

Posted Monday, August 20, 2007 @ 06:57 in Music by Carl Noone Jr.

Paul Van Dyk, considered by many to be the number one DJ in the world, returned to New York City this past August 17th and 18th for two incredible sold-out performances that marked the fifth straight year that over 10,000 club music aficionados have descended on Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield to frolic in his beats. Impeccably designed, produced and promoted by New York’s MADE Events, this rock concert-like experience was a lavish, over-the-top outdoor soiree’ that will quite possibly become the single best nightclub event of the year…and perhaps EVER. The irony being this was outdoors, not in a club, and scheduled to begin in the early evening, not in the middle of the night!

With a 30-foot mirrored disco ball dangling from a crane, three massive video screens flanking the strobe light-walled DJ booth, and banks of multi-color L.E.D. washes, attendees were immediately treated to plenty of spectacular eye candy, as well as plenty of tasty treats, including Brooklyn-based micro brew vendors, shish-kabob and grilled corn-on-the-cob purveyors, and even a commemorative T-shirt and CD booth.

With near-perfect programming from the maestro of hard-edged progressive dance music himself, this celebration was a DJ event like none other, and proved to be everything the promoters had promised…and more. Paul Van Dyk proceeded to treat the masses to four hours of bliss, with the first three hours dedicated to his mixing, and the last hour designated for a special live performance. Without even a stutter or pause in the music, Van Dyk took the crowd from a melody-filled “For An Angel” all the way into a full live performance with the addition of a live drummer, second keyboardist, and a rotation of live vocalists, both male and female. Standout track of the evening was the Eric Prydz remix of Alter Ego’s “Rocker” with its soaring keys and grinding, trippy bassline that shook the foundation of every Port-a-let for miles.

By dropping his own wonderful track “The Other Side”, as well as plenty of “Vega”-ish elements into the mix via laptop and MIDI controller, Van Dyk gave partygoers a glimpse of what hour #4 had in store. Acting as conductor and trigger man, Van Dyk took the reigns of a laser-filled evening and introduced new tracks from his upcoming full-length release with a style and grace never before witnessed in the dance music industry.

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