With the holiday season in full swing, there are a million and one things to look forward to and be grateful for. Among our long list, we were blessed with the opportunity to attend the second day of Absolut‘s Lumen Festival in Montreal, Quebec. Headlining the sold out show was none other than the legendary deadmau5. To find out why this highly anticipated event remains one of the highlights of our holidays, check it out below!
Over the years, we’ve been to our fair share of events at Montreal’s beloved New City Gas. Earlier this year, we shared our memorable experience during Bal en Blanc with you all. Since then, we’ve been pleasantly surprised to see the impressive growth with the overall productions held within the complex. On Friday, December 27, 2019, Absolut’s Lumen Festival continued to surpass our expectations…
As always, we were greeted by friendly staff who quickly pointed us in the right direction. Once we found the entrance, we were delighted to see that the blue rings (as seen at Bal en Blanc) were back, instantly heightening the standard experience as we took in the captivating decor. Upon entering the building, a thorough security check was completed. Once finished, we darted over to coat check to kick off the night’s festivities!
Immediately, we were blown away by the magnitude of the transformation within the venue. The well-known black and white walls were covered with a shiny blue material – a perfect backdrop for snapping photos fit for Instagram! The lumen theme continued to come to life with lights and reflective elements. As we proceeded to explore, we came across a DJ booth on the main floor accompanied by a performer decked out in neon colors.
Although the atmosphere on the main floor was energetic and the music was bumpin’, we couldn’t contain our excitement – so we ran up the stairs to catch the opening act! Guilty Pleasure set the tone of the night by playing a techno-focused set. The party really jump-started when the Canadian DJ dropped Duke Dumont‘s chart-climbing single ‘Red Light Green Light‘. The crowd control was truly outstanding to witness! Very well done.
Following Guilty Pleasure’s dynamic performance, No Mana took the stage. Trust us when we say, we were not disappointed! Not only did he unleash a memorable set that kept everyone dancing, but you could feel his passion for music pouring through! A little later into the night, we ended up spotting the American producer and flagging him down for a quick chat. We were ecstatic to meet the rising star and enjoyed his laid back nature.
The moment we were waiting for had finally arrived! The mau5trap label head was about to take the stage. We wiggled our way to the front to begin to soak in this soon-to-be epic set. The crowd was buzzing; that’s when we noticed the iconic mouse ears! At that moment, our hearts could have exploded! Seeing the well-known silouhette in the distance took us right back to the golden age of EDM. We were ready to witness magic unfold.
Despite the cube not being set up, the Canadian DJ’s visuals captivated our attention throughout his entire performance. In true deadmau5 fashion, the visuals were hilariously entertaining and expertly matched his beloved persona. Classic anthems such as ‘Strobe‘ and ‘Raise Your Weapon‘ were unleashed. To end the set, Joel stepped to the front of the stage to sing ‘Ghosts N Stuff‘ with the roaring crowd. Spectacular doesn’t even come close to describing that particular moment in time.
Without any doubts, deadmau5’s set went above and beyond our expectations. It had been a few years since we saw the legend in action and we can confirm that he continues to get better and better! Thank you to deadmau5’s team, the hardworking crew at New City Gas and everyone who attended; without you all, the night wouldn’t have been nearly as perfect.
