Question of the Week

A name that we all know and love- ILLENIUM. An artist that not only makes you want to bang your head but also sing and cry to heartfelt lyrics and melodies. In my time going to festivals and shows, I’ve seen this amazing artist at least twice every year since 2017. It’s amazing how far he has come since seeing him at The Other Stage at Bonnaroo 2017, to now seeing the ILLENIUM Ascend Tour.

Although I’ve never played into the hype of ‘tours’ (I always love the shows and fully appreciate the effort and love that goes into each and every production), I definitely played into this tour’s hype. For such good reason though. This tour was everything people hyped it up to be and more.

About the Ascend Album

The Ascend Album was a highly anticipated project. When the first of the songs debuted as singles (“Good Things Fall Apart” ft. Jon Bellion, “Pray” ft. Kameron Alexander and “Take Away” ft. Chainsmokers and Lennon Stella, to name a few) in early 2019, fans were in awe. Many claimed (and I completely agree) that these are some of our favorite ILLENIUM songs to date. Shortly after, the announcement two huge headlining shows hit the headlines. One at Madison Square Gardens and the other at Red Rocks. It was clear after this, that an extended project was coming.

Fast forward, and the Ascend Album drops. I must say- the anticipation of this album (even for me) was high. His team did an outrageously awesome job at marketing and promoting the shit out of the album. However, the anticipation did not disappoint.

As if Illenials didn’t already have enough to be excited about- the tour dates announcement was possibly even better? This tour, obviously, was aimed to promote the new album, but there were also special dates on the tour. These dates were paying homage to the throwback songs. The oldies, but goodies, that everyone has heard in a DJ set at this point.

The ILLENIUM Ascend Tour

I actually got the chance to see the Ascend Tour twice this year. One of the throwback shows in DC (which was amazing) and one normal show in Indianapolis. I can honestly say ‘wow’– I was expecting next level production, but it was even better than I thought it would be. Not only were the lights and visuals fantastic, but the crowd and artists brought a vibe that honestly made me feel like I was back in a field at a festival. That’s some next-level kind of feels, yanno.

Throwback Set (Echo Stage, Washington D.C.)

I found ILLENIUM at the beginning of my real EDM career (probably my senior year of college?). Anyway- I had high hopes for this set because of the old songs that I loved so much. I was potentially even a little anxious he wouldn’t play one of them? lol

I’m happy to announce the anxiety didn’t hold on for long once the set started. He shook me. The entire show was everything I hoped for- and more. He played every single song I hoped he would play. Not to mention I was reuniting with my rave family for this show for the first time since Forest. The overall production of the show was great.

TY Nick for creating such a beautiful show.

Ascend Tour (Old National Center, Indianapolis)

Getting to see this show was truly a treat. Old National is a frequent stop for me throughout the years. I personally love the rooms they host in- the sound is great and the bass is overwhelmingly beautiful. Seeing ILLENIUM here was up there with my favorite shows. Not only did the music sound amazing, but of course the production level was 20/10.

Per usual on the Ascend Tour, there was a live aspect to the music. For this stop, it featured Dabin, Said the Sky, Day, and Anna Clendening. All played live pieces that were beyond impressive. Dabin not only played in the band but also his own live set leading up to ILLENIUM.

Dabin’s set was full of his top songs, as well as remixes with heavy drops that got the crowd going. Sadly, you couldn’t see a lot of his visuals during his show. The venue stage was small and ILLENIUM’s stage took up most of the space. HOWEVER- watching him play live was way more enjoyable (in my opinion).

After Dabin’s set was a very brief intermission before ILLENIUM took the stage (and crowd) away. The show built and fell within a magnificent wave of bass and melodies. Throughout the entire show, the voices singing almost drowned out the tracks singing.

The Indianapolis scene has a preference for heavier music, and boy oh boy, did he give us all that we hoped for. Featuring tons of VIP remixes that honestly… I’m hoping will get released to the mass public very soon.

(Nick if you see this… plz release. xoxo your loyal fans)

Overall, the show was beyond words. ILLENIUM and his team brought together a magical experience. Not only giving fans the chance to scream their hearts out to their favorite songs but giving them something to get rowdy too as well. ILLENIUM- please come back to Indy soon!

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