Life in Color to bring well-known EDM DJs to Syracuse Oncenter
Someone in Syracuse is going to be caked.
Onstage, EDM powerhouse DJ Steve Aoki goes beyond the typical champagne spray. His iconic stunt is “caking” fans in the face. The hyperactive DJ makes a point at nearly every show to get out from behind the booth and throw at least one sheet cake into the crowd.
Aoki will be at Life In Color, a global concert tour coming to the Oncenter this Friday. The EDM concert will feature Aoki, LIC veteran David Solano and EDM up-and-comer Reid Stefan. The event starts at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center.
An instantly recognizable name in the EDM scene, Steve Aoki is one of the highest paid DJs in the world, according to Billboard.com. He plays at hundreds of shows and festivals throughout the year and is known for his stage theatrics.
Founded by college students in 2006, LIC was originally a smaller-scale event called Dayglow. Now, it calls itself the “World’s Largest Paint Party” and has sold out shows around the world. The concert itself is a cross between a paint party and a rave; concertgoers throw neon paint at each other and dance non-stop to EDM bangers.
“LIC’s goal is to provide world-class entertainment to EDM fans, we want you to go and have fun with your friends and create memories that last a life time,” said Paul Reed, director of marketing for LIC in an email. “LIC is a chance to escape reality, be yourself, and dance the night away with your friends.”
This year, the tour’s theme is the “Big Bang” and the invention of color. Concertgoers will be taken through the process of how color was created, according to the event’s website.
“The production for this year’s show is the biggest and best we have ever done. We always stride to provide the best experience possible,” Reed said in an email.
Aoki was No. 45 on Rolling Stone’s “50 Most Important People in EDM” list in 2014 and his recently released album, “Neon Future Odyssey,” is currently No. 13 on iTunes’ dance chart.
His remix of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” from the “Project X” soundtrack is one of his most familiar tracks, but another rap-infused song, “Delirious (Boneless),” has also climbed high on the charts. On Billboard’s Hot 100, it reached No. 90 and on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart it peaked at No. 9.
Fellow DJ David Solano, who will also be performing at LIC Syracuse, has also received an increasing amount of recognition from the EDM community. He has been featured on multiple popular dance podcasts, including “Clublife” by Tiësto.
Solano has been with LIC since the beginning and is the resident DJ. The CEO and founder of LIC is his brother, Sebastian, according to a Nov. 11, 2010, Tampa Bay Times article.
Solano has also been featured on the last three LIC anthems, on which he has partnered with R3hab, Adventure Club and Borgeous. The latest, “Big Bang,” was in the tour’s promotional video and has a high probability of being performed this Friday.
While he may not be the resident DJ or a global powerhouse, Reid Stefan — the final DJ in the lineup — is just getting started. In 2012, he won Beatport Play’s remix contest and, in 2013, his original work “Shocker” won Hardwell’s unsigned track contest, according to a June 24 Trapstyle.com article.
He is now signed to Aoki’s label, Dim Mak, but has not yet released an album.